6. Definition of Superstition
• that one event leads to the cause of another
without any process in the physical world
linking the two events.
7. Why does Tipsy do this?
• Because it seems to work!
• Associate two events together
• Athletes are often superstitious
• Fairy tales, epic stories
• Stories about birth, death, healing
• Superstition is no substitution for
understanding how the world works.
• Scientific method
8. Clever Hans
Hans could
only answer
the question
if he could
see his
trainer!
9. Experimental Designs
Blind experimental design
• The experimental subjects do not know which
treatment (if any) they are receiving.
Double-blind experimental design
• Neither the experimental subjects nor the
experimenter knows which treatment the
subject is receiving.
10. If you wanted to test if antibacterial soap
worked better than regular soap, which
answer has the strongest experimental
design?
1. Have people in the experiment wash with antibacterial
soap first and later with regular soap and compare.
2. Have two groups of people wash with either
antibacterial soap or regular soap and compare.
3. Have two groups of people wash with either
antibacterial or regular soap, without knowing which
type of soap is being used, and compare.
4. Have two groups of people wash with either
antibacterial or regular soap, with neither the
researchers nor the groups knowing which type of soap
is being used, and compare.
11. If you wanted to test if antibacterial soap
worked better than regular soap, which
answer has the strongest experimental
design?
1. Have people in the experiment wash with antibacterial
soap first and later with regular soap and compare.
2. Have two groups of people wash with either
antibacterial soap or regular soap and compare.
3. Have two groups of people wash with either
antibacterial or regular soap, without knowing which
type of soap is being used, and compare.
4. Have two groups of people wash with either
antibacterial or regular soap, with neither the
researchers nor the groups knowing which type of soap
is being used, and compare.
12.
13. Making Wise Decisions
About Concrete Things
Does having access to a textbook help a
student to perform better in a biology
class?
• Students who had access to a textbook scored
an average of 81% ± 8% on their exams…
• …while those who did not scored an average
of 76% ± 7%.
14. What is the average range
of scores for students who
do not use textbooks while
studying?
1. 90 to 100%
2. 95%
3. 5565%
4. 65%
15. What is the average range
of scores for students who
do not use textbooks while
studying?
1. 90 to 100%
2. 95%
3. 5565%
4. 65%
16. 1. Pseudoscience: individuals make
scientific-sounding claims that are not
supported by trustworthy, methodical
scientific studies.
2. Anecdotal observations: based on only
one or a few observations, people
conclude that there is or is not a link
between two things.
17. “Four out of five dentists surveyed
recommend sugarless gum for their patients
who chew gum.”
“How do they know what they know?”
Maybe the statement is factually true, but the
general relationship it implies may not be.
18. Anecdotal Observations
do not include a
sufficiently large and
representative set of
observations of the
world
data are more
reliable than
anecdotes
19. Science is a way to call the bluff of those
who only pretend to knowledge. It is a
bulwark against mysticism, against
superstition, against religion misapplied to
where it has no business being. If we’re
true to its values, it can tell us when we’re
being lied to.
—Carl Sagan
20. Chapter 2: Chemistry
Raw materials and fuel for our bodies
Lectures by Mark Manteuffel, St. Louis Community College; Clicker Questions by Kristen Curran, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
21. 2.1 Everything is made of atoms.
An element is a
substance that cannot
be broken down
chemically into any other
substances.
An atom is a bit of
matter that cannot be
subdivided any further
without losing its
essential properties.
25. What characteristic of an atom gives it its
chemical properties?
1. the number of protons
2. the number of neutrons
3. the number of electrons
4. the number of electrons in its
outer orbital
26. What characteristic of an atom gives it its
chemical properties?
1. the number of protons
2. the number of neutrons
3. the number of electrons
4. the number of electrons in its
outer orbital
27. 2.3 Atoms can bond together to form
molecules or compounds.
30. A sodium ion is positively charged (+1). How
many electrons did it originally have in its outer
orbital as a sodium atom?
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 7
5. 6
31. A sodium ion is positively charged (+1). How
many electrons did it originally have in its outer
orbital as a sodium atom?
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 7
5. 6
32. A chloride ion is negatively charged (1). How
many electrons did it originally have in its outer
orbital as a chlorine atom?
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 7
5. 6
33. A chloride ion is negatively charged (1). How
many electrons did it originally have in its outer
orbital as a chlorine atom?
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 7
5. 6
34. Potassium chloride (KCl) is formed using ionic
bonding. Potassium ions have a net positive charge
(+1). Chloride ions have a net negative charge (1).
How many electrons were in the outer orbital of the
potassium (K) and chloride (Cl) atoms?
1. K=7; Cl=7
2. K=1; Cl=6
3. K=7; Cl=6
4. K=1; Cl=7
35. Potassium chloride (KCl) is formed using ionic
bonding. Potassium ions have a net positive charge
(+1). Chloride ions have a net negative charge (1).
How many electrons were in the outer orbital of the
potassium (K) and chloride (Cl) atoms?
1. K=7; Cl=7
2. K=1; Cl=6
3. K=7; Cl=6
4. K=1; Cl=7
36.
37. 2.4 A molecule’s shape gives it
unique characteristics.
Molecular Personalities
Shape determines function
• Physical properties such as:
»Taste
»Smell
