Answer each of the following nine questions as completely as you can. Don’t worry; there is no right or wrong answer. Just write what you think. Think about your past experiences in science and use them when you can as examples in your answers.

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1. Where do you go to school?

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2. What, in your view, is science?

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3. What is an experiment?

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4. Does the development of scientific knowledge require experiments? If yes, explain why. Give an example to defend your position. If no, explain why. Give an example to defend your position.

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5. After scientists have developed a scientific theory (e.g., atomic theory, evolution theory), does the theory ever change? If you believe that scientific theories do NOT change, explain why. Defend your answer with examples. If you believe that scientific theories do change: (a) Explain why theories change; (b) Explain why we bother to learn scientific theories. Defend your answer with examples.

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6. The Giant Impact Hypothesis currently stands as the best explanation for the formation of the earth’s moon. Why is this idea a hypothesis and not a theory?

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7. The Moon’s core is thought to be very small compared to the Moon’s total volume. How certain are scientists about the size of the Moon’s core? What specific evidence do you think scientists used to determine the size of the Moon’s core?

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8. It is believed that about 65 million years ago the dinosaurs became extinct. Of the hypotheses formulated by scientists to explain the extinction, two enjoyed wide support until very recently. The first, formulated by one group of scientists, suggests that a huge meteorite hit the earth 65 million years ago and led to a series of events that caused the extinction. (This hypothesis is now accepted widely by scientists around the world as the explanation for the dinosaurs’ demise.) The second hypothesis, formulated by another group of scientists, suggests that massive and violent volcanic eruptions were responsible for the extinction.

How are these different conclusions possible if scientists in both groups have access to and use the same set of data to derive their conclusions?

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9. Some claim that science is infused with social and cultural values. That is, science reflects the social and political values, philosophical assumptions, and intellectual norms of the culture in which it is practiced. Others claim that science is universal. That is, science transcends national and cultural boundaries and is not affected by social, political, and philosophical values, and intellectual norms of the culture in which it is practiced.

If you believe that science reflects social and cultural values, explain why. Defend your answer with examples. If you believe that science is universal, explain why. Defend your answer with examples.

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10. Scientists perform experiments/investigations when trying to find answers to the questions they put forth. Do scientists use their creativity and imagination during their investigations?

If yes, then at which stages of the investigations do you believe scientists use their imagination and creativity: planning and design, data collection, after data collection? Please explain why scientists use imagination and creativity. Provide examples if appropriate. If you believe that scientists do not use imagination and creativity, please explain why. Provide examples if appropriate.

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