6 Questions
What is the primary goal of scientific inquiry?
To understand and predict natural phenomena
What was the primary method of discovering new medical treatments before the 1700s?
A slow and haphazard system of trial and error
What has been the result of science-based medicine and public health practices?
Unprecedented control over threats to our health
What is a key difference between scientific inquiry and other ways of knowing?
It is limited to ideas that can be tested through verifiable observations
What is not a characteristic of scientific inquiry?
It accepts supernatural claims as evidence
What is the relationship between scientific inquiry and other ways of knowing, such as faith, intuition, and dreams?
They have emotional value and provide moral guidance
Study Notes
Scientific Inquiry
- Scientific inquiry is an approach to asking and answering questions to understand the natural world and predict natural phenomena.
Successes of Science-Based Technologies
- Medicine, for example, has made significant progress due to scientific inquiry.
- Prior to the 1700s, medical practices were based on folk traditions or religious leaders' ideas, with a slow and haphazard process of trial and error.
- With science-based medicine and public health practices, there has been a significant gain in control over health threats.
Impact on Health
- The average life expectancy in the United States has increased by more than 30 years since 1900, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Limitations of Scientific Inquiry
- Scientific inquiry limits itself to ideas that can be tested through verifiable observations.
- Supernatural claims, such as events caused by ghosts, devils, God, or other spiritual entities, cannot be tested scientifically.
Relationship with Other Ways of Knowing
- Scientific inquiry has not displaced faith, intuition, and dreams, which have emotional value and provide moral guidance.
- However, hunches, feelings, deep convictions, old traditions, or dreams cannot be accepted directly as scientifically valid.
Learn about the approach scientists use to ask and answer questions about the natural world, and how it has led to successes in medicine and other fields.
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