Characteristics of Life
List one characteristic of life and explain what it means.
Answers will vary
What is peer review and why is it important?
Peer review is a process by which the procedures used during an experiment and the results are evaluated by other scientists who are in the same field or who are conducting similar research.
This results in more accurate information and theories.
What is a hypothesis?
A hypothesis is a testable explanation of a situation.
Give one reason why we know that the Bible is reliable.
Historical evidence: most surviving manuscripts of any ancient document, with 99.5% accuracy.
Archaeological evidence: the Bible confirms what is found in archaeological digs.
How is pupil dilation a response to stimulus?
Pupil grow larger in darker conditions to allow more light to enter for vision to occur.
What is the difference between a theory and a law?
A theory is an explanation of a natural phenomenon supported by many observations and experiments over time.
A scientific law describes relationships under certain conditions in nature, but does not explain why the relationship is the way it is.
Define independent, dependent, and control variables.
Independent variable—the tested factor that might affect the outcome of the experiment
Dependent variable—results from or depends on changes to the independent variable.
Control—a factor that remains fixed during an experiment while the independent and dependent variables change.
What is natural selection? Give an example
Traits beneficial for survival are selected over time so that those traits become more common. Ex: color of bugs on a tree
What is metabolism?
Metabolism is the sum of all the chemical reactions that take place in and transform energy and materials from the environment.
What are two characteristics of scientific inquiry?
Makes observations and draws conclusions
Expands knowledge
Challenges accepted theories
Questions results
Tests claims
Undergoes peer review
What are the 6 steps of the scientific method?
Observation
Ask a question
Hypothesis
Experimentation
Results/Conclusion
Communication
What is theistic evolution?
God created matter and after that did not guide or intervene or act directly to cause any empirically detectable change in the natural behavior of matter until all living things had evolved by purely natural processes.
Give three characteristics that explain whether wood in a desk is living, nonliving, or dead.
Dead
Used to have characteristics of life
No longer grows, develops, reproduces, etc.
What is ethics and how does it influence scientific inquiry?
Ethics is a set of moral principles or values.
Influences how we view the world and our interpretation of results/theories
What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative data?
Quantitative data can be collected as numbers, such as measurements of time, temperature, length, mass, etc.
Qualitative data are descriptions of what our senses detect.
What is the difference between macroevolution and microevolution? Give an example of each. Which one contradicts the Genesis account of creation?
Macroevolution:Emergence of a new species over millions of years, contradicts the Bible
Microevolution: Change within a species especially over a short period of time
List the 7 characteristics of life.
Metabolism
Reproduction
Stimulus Response
Growth & Development
Order (Organization of Cells)
Change Over Time
Homeostasis (Regulation)
How does the motivation for pseudoscience differ from the motivation for science?
Science is driven by the search for new knowledge and constantly reevalutates what is known.
Pseudoscience is driven by a cultural or commercial goal, and new questions/research are not welcomed.
What system of units is most commonly used in science?
SI units (International System of Units) are commonly used in science for consistency and ease of communication.
Give 3 differences between the Young Earth and Old Earth creation views.
Old Earth:
Each DAY (Hebrew “yom”) is an indefinite length
God performed many (maybe millions) of acts of special creation of plants and animals over millions of years
The first true humans were Adam and Eve and were created Ex Nihilo (fashioned by God)
The Genesis Flood was a local flood
The fossil record and geologic column reveal the order that God created different organisms
Animals died long before the creation and Fall of Adam
Young Earth:
Each DAY (Hebrew “yom”) equals 24 hours
All kinds of animals and plants were created literally as described in Genesis 1
The first humans were Adam and Eve and were created as described in Genesis
The Genesis Flood was a global flood
The fossil record and geologic column reveal the order organisms were buried in the Genesis flood
There was no animal death until the Fall of Adam