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The Vocabulary of Science: First Steps to Science Literacy
Welcome to the Course!
Question: Is Evolution a Theory, a Fact, or Both? (4:50)
Why Am I Qualified to Teach This Course? (2:42)
Overview of the Course (2:31)
Update: New Videos on Science Literacy and Science Education
An Important Distinction For the Whole Course
An Important Distinction: Epistemically Loaded vs Epistemically Neutral Language (6:59)
Quiz
What is a Theory?
"It's Just a Theory": "Theory" as Down-Player (2:56)
"Theories are the Pinnacles of Science": "Theory" as Up-Player (5:11)
Why We Need a Neutral Definition of "Theory" (3:56)
A Neutral Definition of "Theory": A Classical (But Incomplete) Story (6:39)
A Neutral Definition of "Theory": A More Sophisticated Story (6:13)
Quiz
What is a Fact?
"You Can't Deny the Facts": A Loaded Definition of "Fact" (7:20)
"I Had the Facts Wrong": A Neutral Definition of "Fact" (4:34)
Can There Be Theoretical Facts? (4:48)
Quiz
What is a Law?
Loaded Definitions of "Law" (4:51)
Examples of Laws in Biology and Psychology (10:15)
Examples of Laws in Physics and Astronomy (7:49)
Unpacking the Neutral Concept of "Law" (10:01)
But Are There Any Laws? (3:15)
A Quick Word: Are Laws Explanatory? (0:31)
Quiz
What is a Hypothesis?
"That's Just a Hypothesis": A Loaded Definition of "Hypothesis" (1:38)
A Neutral Definition of "Hypothesis" (8:24)
Quiz
What is a Model?
Introduction: What is a Model? (2:19)
Maps and Models (7:28)
Models as Tools For Reasoning About the World (6:04)
How Equations Can Be Models (7:06)
Is There a Difference Between a Model and a Theory? (5:09)
Quiz
Theories, Models, Truth and Reality
Introduction: Theories, Models, Truth and Reality (1:26)
The Challenge of Interpreting Scientific Theories (7:45)
Prediction and Truth: Lessons from Ptolemy (10:37)
Prediction and Truth: Lessons from the Kinetic Theory of Gases (10:20)
Quiz
Test Yourself: "Fact vs Theory vs Hypothesis vs Law ... Explained!"
Assignment: Critique a 7 Minute Video on the Vocabulary of Science (1:54)
Part 1: The Motivation For the Video (3:35)
Part 2: "Scales of Truthiness" (0:57)
Part 3: The Fundamental Error (1:25)
Part 4: The Problem With Defining Facts In Terms of Observations (1:26)
Part 5: Problems with Defining Hypotheses as Starting Points For Inquiry (1:51)
Part 6: Problems With Defining Theories as Well-Supported (2:03)
Part 7: Problems with Defining Evolution as an Observable Fact (2:51)
Part 8: Problems with Defining Laws in Terms of Observations (2:59)
Part 9: Can Laws Explain, or Do They Just Describe? Kepler, Newton and Einstein (5:19)
Part 10: Analyzing the Last Slide (2:02)
Part 11: Who is to Blame? (1:35)
Quiz
Why is Science Literacy Important, and How Should We Teach It?
Introduction to the Videos in This Section
Why Most People (Even People with PhDs in Science) are Scientifically Illiterate (16:00)
A Curriculum For Teaching Genuine Science Literacy: Overview (1:50)
The Logic of Science (3:15)
The Methods of Science (9:31)
The Landscape of Science (8:22)
The Ethics of Science (10:17)
What's Next?
What's Next? (1:25)
An Important Distinction: Epistemically Loaded vs Epistemically Neutral Language