Definitions
The systematic study of the natural world through observation and experimentation in order to formulate general laws.
Science
Name one of the three ancient civilizations discussed as having the beginnings of science.
Egyptians, Chinese, or Sumerian
What practice became popular during the Dark Ages and attempted to transform inexpensive metals into precious substances?
Alchemy
The Enlightenment was sometimes called the Age of what?
Reason
True or False: A scientific idea should be accepted simply because a brilliant scientist believes it.
False
What is a statement describing what you think will happen in an experiment, often written as an “if-then” statement?
Hypothesis
Why were the ancient Egyptians not considered true scientists, even though they had advanced medical practices?
They mainly used trial and error and collected observations without forming scientific theories or laws.
What was the main goal of the alchemists?
To turn lead or other inexpensive metals into gold or precious substances.
During the Enlightenment, scientists began relying less on the authority of past scientists and more on what two things?
Experiments and data
Science progresses by building on the work of whom?
Previous Scientists
What is the idea that living organisms can spontaneously form from nonliving substances?
Spontaneous Generation
With what ancient civilization did true science begin to emerge?
The Greeks
According to our notes, scientific progress depends not only on scientists but also on what two things?
Government and Culture
According to our notes, what authority did science increasingly begin to move away from during the Enlightenment?
The Bible
Yes or No: Can a scientist's beliefs affect the way he or she interprets scientific data?
Yes
What ancient form of paper was made from a plant of the same name?
Papyrus
Which two Greek thinkers proposed that all matter is composed of atoms?
Leucippus and Democritus
What worldview began to replace the Roman worldview and helped science begin progressing again?
The Christian Worldview
Which scientist built a telescope based on descriptions he had heard and used it to study the heavens?
Galileo Galilei
What major lesson can we learn from scientists such as Aristotle and Ptolemy being wrong about some of their ideas?
We should not accept an idea simply because it is old, popular, or supported by an important scientist; it should be tested against evidence.
What should scientific conclusions be based on instead of simply accepting the opinion of a famous scientist?
Evidence, observations, experiments, or data
What did the Greeks begin doing with their observations that earlier civilizations generally had not done?
They used observations to develop explanations and form hypotheses.
According to our notes, why did Christian beliefs encourage the study of science during the Renaissance?
Christians believed God created an orderly universe with laws and systems that could be studied.
Which scientist performed experiments that dealt a final blow to the idea of spontaneous generation?
Louis Pasteur
According to the third major lesson of Module 1, the interpretation of scientific data is often dependent on what?
The individual scientist's worldview