1.2 Science In Context

Exploration and Discovery: Where Ideas Come From

Scientific methodology is closely linked to exploration and discovery. Good scientists share scientific attitudes, or habits of mind, that lead them to exploration and discovery. New ideas are generated by curiosity, skepticism, open-mindedness, and creativity.

• Ideas for exploration can arise from practical problems.

• Discoveries in one field of science can lead to new technologies; the new technologies give rise to new questions for exploration.

Communicating Results: Reviewing and Sharing Ideas

Communication and sharing of ideas are vital to modern science. Scientists share their findings with the scientific community by publishing articles that undergo peer review. In peer review, scientific papers are reviewed by anonymous, independent experts. Publishing peer-reviewed articles scientific journals allows scientists to

• share ideas.

• test and evaluate each other’s work.

Once research has been published, it enters the dynamic marketplace of scientific ideas. New ideas fit into scientific understanding by leading to new hypotheses that must be independently confirmed by controlled experiments.

Scientific Theories

In science, the word theory applies to a well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations and hypotheses and that enables scientists to make accurate predictions about new situations.

• No theory is considered absolute truth.

• Science is always changing; as new evidence is uncovered, a theory may be reviewed or replaced by a more useful explanation.

Science and Society

Using science involves understanding its context in society and its limitations. Understanding science

• helps people make decisions that also involve cultural customs, values, and ethical standards.

• can help people predict the consequences of their actions and plan the future.

Scientists strive to be objective, but when science is applied in society, it can be affected by bias, a point of view that is personal rather than scientific.