Looking at Earth Science as Christians
What is our role on God's Earth?
We are to exercise good and wise dominion over God's Earth
What is a model?
Something that is used to explain, describe, or represent a process in the world.
What is data?
Data is any information collected by observing nature.
What is the difference between the scientific process and the scientific method?
The scientific method is more of a rigid, step-by-step procedure while the scientific process is more of a flexible guide that scientists follow when studying something
Define earth science in your own words.
Earth Science: The knowledge and organized methods of observing the earth using appropriate tools.
Why is helping people important to God?
God created people in His image, so we are all valuable and important to God
What is the most important quality of a good scientific model?
That it is workable (it's useful for understanding the world and it's accurate).
Is data collected before the experiment or after the experiment?
After the experiment. Before doing an experiment, you have to do initial research.
Name the difference between historical and operational science.
Operational science deals with present-day problems/questions while historical science deals with investigating things that happen in the unobservable past.
Name the order of the scientific process.
Scientific question, initial research, suggesting a hypothesis, collecting data, analyzing the data, drawing a conclusion, and publishing research.
Give at least two examples of how we can help others with earth science as God wants us to.
Warning people about things such as earthquakes or tsunamis, designing structures that will function with their geological location (dams, dikes, canals, and more), using earth's resources to help humanity flourish, etc.
Compare a theory and a law.
A theory explains observations, while a law describes relationships in nature without offering any attempt to explain.
True or False: A controlled experiment is the only way that a scientist will be able to collect data through.
False, it is one way but not the only way. They can collect data through surveys, maps, samples, ect.
True or False: the conclusions of historical science are not as certain as those of operational science.
True, as historical science is limited by what we assume to be true about the past.
True or False: The only way earth science will be profitable to you is if you become a geologist or some kind of earth science.
False, because Earth science is profitable to reveal God's design and glory through His creation. That does not only happen through scientists.
Why do secular and Christian scientists often arrive at different conclusions about the same geological data?
They have different worldviews, so they interpret evidence differently.
Why are scientific models incomplete or not perfectly accurate?
They are only approximations of reality made by finite, fallen human minds.
What are the three different data types that we have talked about? Give examples of each.
Measured (length), descriptive (color), and derived (high/low tide when observing sea levels).
What is the principles of uniformity and the principle of cause and effect?
Principle of Uniformity: the world operates in a reliable and unvarying way.
Principle of Cause and Effect: For anything that is an observable result of a process (or effect) there must be an adequate cause.
True or False: A good hypothesis should agree with a scientist's presuppositions and explain all known observations.
True, as through those characteristics a scientists will be able to test the hypothesis.
Contrast the time frame of secular view of Earth's history with that of a biblical view.
The secularist believes that the earth was formed more than 4 millions of years ago while a Christian believes that the earth was created by God only about7000 years ago.
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation that provides a starting point for research. A theory is a well-tested explanation that may be the basis for other theories.
What is insufficient data and what effects can it have?
Insufficient data: There is not enough data based on the question being asked. If there is not enough data then that will lead to wrong/invalid conclusions.
What are the six earth science specializations (or specific scientific jobs) we have discussed?
Geologists, hydrologists, marine scientists, meteorologist, astronomers, and engineers
Identify the earth scientist who does the following work: maps undersea mountain ranges.
A marine geologists