A scientific fact is a hypothesis that has been tested and proven right
Scientists were the ones to bring the practice of critical thinking to the attention and use of modern society
Scientific Thinking & the Scientific Method
Critical/Scientific Thinking
Three components
Skepticism
Being Skeptical
questioning your beliefs and conclusions
Rationalism
Practicing Logical Reasoning
Empiricism
Using Empirical Evidence
Evidence seen, heard, touched, tastde,smelled
Thinking correctly which successfully leads to the most reliable answers to questions
Scientific Method in Practice
6. Construct, support or doubt a scientific theory
5. Testing Results
If it passes the test then it is kept; called Corroborated Hypothesis
If it fails the test, it must be rejected or modified.
4. Test the hypothesis
b) By making further observations
a) By experimenting
3. Formulate a Hypothesis
Proposed solution to the problem
2. Collect relevant information to answer the question
1. Ask a meaningful question/identify a significant problem
Science
Reliable knowledge: one with a high probablility of truth as it is justified by a method
method of investigating nature to discover reliable knowledge about it
