Scientific Method - 4 credits

What is the scientific method and how is it used appropriately? How are problems formulated, research questions designed, tests and other measurements constructed, data gathered and analyzed, conclusions drawn, and findings incorporated into theories? Using scientific topics drawn from the headlines –evolution, ecology, stem cell research in genetics, astronomy, and neuroscience—this course provides an overview of basic science, emerging technologies, and lingering questions. One focus of the course is on how science addresses pseudoscientific claims founded on methods that look like science but are unable to meet the tests of scientific method.