BIOLOGY 157: LIFE SCIENCE: AN ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH (Introduction, Science, etc.)

1. BIOLOGY 157: LIFE SCIENCE: AN ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH (Introduction, Science, etc.)

2. TEXT & SYLLABUS • Principles of Environmental Science: Inquiry and Applications. W. P. Cunningham and M. A. Cunningham (4th ed.). 2008. • REQUIRED • READ syllabus packet before next class • Lecture Topics, Text Readings, Exams • Class materials also on my web sitewww.lasalle.edu/~belzer

3. CLASS ATTENDANCE, ETC. • Attendance EXPECTED (No ‘cuts’) • PowerPoint materials are NOT a substitute for class • Class meets from 6:00 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. • Class STARTS promptly at 6:00 p.m. • QUIZ at BEGINNING and/or END of most classes -- Quizzes count for 1/2 of participation grade • Cell Phones (OFF / MUTE and AWAY!)

4. GRADE DETERMINATION • EXAMS (5) --------------- 72% • 4 regular semester • final (45% comprehensive) • PARTICIPATION ----- 8% (1/2 for quizzes) • 2 WRITING ASSIGNMENTS and/or PROJECTS --- 20% (8% and 12%) • Letter Grade Limits • plus/minus system • 90 (A-), 80 (B-), 70 (C-), 60 (D-)

5. EXAMINATIONS • Exam Format(s)????? • What to study????? • When to study????? • How to study?????

6. A Simple Exercise • Break into groups of 3 • What are the environmental 3 R’s? • Define: Population, Ecology, Fauna, Herbivore • Give the complete scientific name for humans. • How long has our species been on earth? • How many centimeters in a meter?

8. Compare / ContrastEnvironmental Science & Ecology • ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE:an interdisciplinary field that studiesthe interrelated issues of human populations, resources and pollution. • ECOLOGY:the study of the interrelationships of organisms AND the reciprocal relationships between organisms and their abiotic environment.

9. A Question • Why do we want to know (= to understand) about organisms and their environment and their interactions? • Why do we want to know (= to understand) about anything?

10. An Answer • The best answer might be: • “To know (= to understand) is to control.” • IF we really understand something then we have at least a chance of using it to our benefit.

11. Can You Do Science? • The answer is YES! • ANYONE can! • EVERYONE should!

12. What is 'SCIENCE'? • Break out into your groups for a few minutes and come up with ONE answer from your group.

13. Science Defined (I) • Definition #1 is an archaic one. • Definition #2 is the one we will use because the definition, in itself, just about explains the so-called “Scientific Method”.

14. Science Defined (II) • 1) Knowledge, especially knowledge gained through experience. • 2) The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and explanation of NATURAL phenomena.

15. Scientific Method (I) • The method or pattern by which good 'science' is accomplished is a multi-step process. • Many sources will list a set number of steps. • In reality it is more of a ‘flowing’ PROCESS and the exact number of steps one defines really doesn’t matter. However, generally it has the following pattern:

16. Scientific Method (II) • 1) OBSERVATION(s) of 'something’ • 2) INFERENCE -- One formulates a generalization technically known as an HYPOTHESIS. Laypersons usually refer to an hypothesis as a THEORY, but theory really means something different. • 3) EXPERIMENTATION -- test the hypothesis (generalization) by basing predictions on it • 4) ANALYZE THE DATA • 5) ACCEPT or REJECT the hypothesis

17. Scientific Method (III) • IF the generalization holds up to reasonable experimentation it is then called a THEORY (usually referred to as a FACT by laypeople). Scientists then accept this as a working 'truth' (until evidence to the contrary is discovered). • LAW - a theory that seems absolute • IF a significant discrepancy arises between the experimental results and the hypothesis, then we must (?????) change the working hypothesis and go through the process again.

18. Science and Technology areNOT the same. • SCIENCE:essentially is a search for knowledge about nature. • TECHNOLOGY:is the creation of new products and processes which are supposed to improve our efficiency, chances for survival, comfort and quality of life.

19. Some Things About Science / Scientists (I) • What are some things we associate with science / scientists? • Come up with 3 or 4 things you would associate with science / scientists. Try to keep each ‘thing’ to one or two words.

20. Some Things About Science / Scientists (II) • Among the terms that come to mind might be:objective, careful, persistent, technology, mathematical, quantitative, prove, agree, accurate, precise, logical, picky, focused, nerdy, skeptical, reasoning.

21. Some Things About Science / Scientists (III) • 1) What can science PROVE? • 2) Should all scientists agree? • 3) Are scientists always objective? • 4) QUANTITATIVE vs. QUALITATIVE • 5) PRECISION vs. ACCURACY • 6) TYPES OF REASONING used by scientists: • Deductive Inductive

22. Some Things About Science / Scientists (IV) • Quantitative• usually very meaningful / useful • numerical data such as 14.7 kilograms, 75 kilometers, 370 C. • Qualitative: • usually not very meaningful / useful • large, small, long, short, hot, cold, etc.

23. Precision and Accuracy areNOT the same. • Precision:degree of exactness with which a measurement is made (such as 19.427 kilometers from point A to point B) • Accuracythe extent to which the measurement agrees with the accepted (= real?) value

24. TYPES OF REASONING • DEDUCTIVE REASONING(= syllogistic reasoning)reason from a known principle to an unknown, or from a premise to a logical conclusion (general to specific or “top down”) • INDUCTIVE REASONINGreason from particular facts or individual cases to a general conclusion (“bottom up”)

25. What, if any, difference is there between the way scientists work and the way people work in other areas? • Nothing done by scientists is UNIQUE to science. • IF there is a difference, it is one of degree.

26. “Types” of Science • MAINSTREAM (= CONSENSUS or SOUND) SCIENCE:that which has sufficient data and is generally accepted by the scientific community • FRONTIER SCIENCE:that which, at the present time, does not have sufficient evidence for it to make it generally acceptable (but it may get that in the future) • PSEUDO-SCIENCE (= ?? QUACKERY or BALONEY ??):ideas which not only lack support but may even have evidence against them

27. DEMONSTRATION OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U U

28. About Terminology • A specialized and fixed terminology IS necessary: • It allows us to communicate more easily and accurately! • Natural vs. Not Natural ?? • Theory vs. Hypothesis • Good vs. Bad ??

29. Gaia Hypothesis I • Gaia (also spelled Gaea)from Greek mythology, the earth personified as a goddess (“Mother Earth”) • The idea has surfaced numerous times. • James Lovelock; Lynn Margulis • ?????? The earth is a giant self-regulating creature. ??????

30. Gaia Hypothesis II • The earth functions LIKE a giant organism. • Living things have changed the earth AND its abiotic environment. • Living things assist in maintaining the abiotic environment. • Everything is tied together. Anything that happens in one place has repercussions in other places.

31. ADDITIONAL things from chapter 1 for YOU to investigate • Law of Parsimony • Empiricism • Blind and Double Blind Studies • Paradigm (can you think of some that were accepted in the past but not now) • Types of THINKING (p. 11) • Which idea (Biocentric Conservation or Utilitarian Conservation) most closely follows Genesis in the Bible?