Term
| How is truth defined in D&C 93? |
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Definition
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“And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to
come” (D&C 93:24)
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Term
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Complete the phrase: “For man is _____, the elements are _____, and ______, inseparably connected, receive
______.”
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Definition
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“For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness
of joy” (D&C 93:33)
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Term
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Complete the phrase: “Increasingly more people are finding that making wise decisions is becoming more and more
difficult because of _____.”
Why is it dangerous to base our decisions on what is socially acceptable or politically correct?
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Definition
“the ultra-interconnected world in which we live. ”
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“...social and political
structures differ widely over the world and can dramatically change with time ...”
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Term
| What are the two general paths to truth identified by Elder Scott? |
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Definition
| The scientific method and revelation. |
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Term
| What are the two limitations of the scientific method identified by Elder Scott? |
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Definition
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We can never be sure we have
identified absolute truth, and no matter how earnestly we apply the scientific method, we can still get the wrong answer.
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Term
| What are the two essential ingredients for revelation identified by Elder Scott? |
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Definition
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Unwavering faith in the source of all
truth, and a willingness to keep the commandments.
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Term
| Science can be used to discover absolute truth. |
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Definition
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Term
| We can be 100% confident in all ideas resulting from the scientific method. |
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Definition
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Term
| Revelation can be used to discover absolute truth. |
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Definition
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Term
| We can be 100% confident in what we personally receive through true revelation. |
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Definition
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Term
| Science is the only worthwhile method for finding truth. |
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Definition
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Term
| Revelation is the only worthwhile method of finding truth. |
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Definition
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Term
| You cannot be a practicing scientist and also be a member of the LDS church in good standing. |
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Definition
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Term
| Only worthy members of the church can receive true revelation or inspiration. |
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Definition
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Term
| A person must decide whether they will adhere to science or revelation – you can't have both. |
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Definition
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Term
| Truths discovered by science and revealed truth can coexist in perfect harmony. |
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Definition
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Term
| The truths revealed by the scientific method and the truths received through revelation can coexist harmoniously. |
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Definition
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Term
The Sun is at the center of the universe.
The big bang (i.e. the universe began as a “singularity” 13.7 billion years ago and has been expanding since then). 8. Our bodies are composed of atoms.
The Earth is composed of atoms
The Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old.
Plate tectonics (i.e. Earth's surface is composed of large plates that drift across the surface of the Earth)
Microscopic species, such as bacteria, can change over time (evolve).
Animals other than humans can evolve.
Hominid species, including humans, can evolve. |
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Definition
| Church has no official position |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
| My shoe is 11 inches long. |
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Definition
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Term
| The universe began with a “big bang” or a singularity. |
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Definition
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Term
| The Big Bang Theory proves that life has no purpose. |
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Definition
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Term
| Our solar system began as an interstellar cloud of gas and dust. |
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Definition
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Term
| The Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old. |
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Definition
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Term
| 50% of this sample is lead, and 50% is uranium. |
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Definition
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Term
| The fossil record contains species that exhibit a gradual change from ape-like to human-like features. |
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Definition
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Term
Man evolved from an ape-like ancestor.
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Definition
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Term
| The theory of evolution indicates that the ultimate moral compass should be “survival of the fittest”. |
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Definition
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Term
God created life on Earth.
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Definition
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Term
| Since God created life on Earth, evolution is a false and damnable idea. |
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Definition
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Term
| Adam was the first child of God on this Earth. |
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Definition
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Term
| Since Adam was the first child of God on this Earth, Neanderthal man did not exist. |
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Definition
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Term
| There were no organisms that lived and died before the fall. |
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Definition
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Term
The Earth is approximately 6,000 years old.
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Definition
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Term
Joseph Smith was the prophet of the restoration.
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Definition
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Term
Joseph Smith was an amazingly likable man.
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Definition
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Term
Because of Adam's transgression, mankind is a fallen race.
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Definition
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Term
| God is no respecter of persons. |
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Definition
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Term
| Complete the phrase: “One goal of science is to __________ and __________ the laws of nature.” |
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Definition
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Term
| Complete the phrase: “Science can only address questions which are _________ and __________.” |
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Definition
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Term
| What does it mean for a question to be objective? |
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Definition
-
Basically, that there is “a” correct answer, and that answer is not subject to an individual's feelings, biases, or opinions.
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Term
| What does it mean for a question to be empirical? |
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Definition
| That data relevant to the question can be collected using the five senses or instrumentation that extends the sensed. |
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Term
| What is a research (or alternative) hypothesis? |
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Definition
| A researcher's best guess as to the underlying nature of a given phenomenon (i.e. their best guess as to an explanation). |
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Term
| What is a null hypothesis? |
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Definition
| The sum total of all other explanations for the phenomenon. |
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Term
| How are the research and null hypotheses related to each other? |
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Definition
They are mutually exclusive. The research
hypothesis says that the answer is “X”, while the null hypothesis says the answer is “something other than X”.
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Term
In a scientific investigation, the researcher ultimately makes a decision to accept or reject which of the two
hypotheses?
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Definition
The null hypothesis. This helps prevent our personal biases from leading us to accept an idea as correct
when it really is not.
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Term
| What is the typical minimum level of confidence required before accepting or rejecting a hypothesis? |
|
Definition
95%. In many
disciplines, the required level of confidence is higher.
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Term
| Define the following terms: theory, model, and law. |
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Definition
A law is a summary of observation – it tells us “what” we
observe. A theory is an attempt to explain those observation, i.e. “how” it happens. A model is any “picture” or
representation of the system that helps us understand how it works.
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Term
| Which of these terms generally refers to observations? |
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Definition
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|
Term
| Which of these terms generally refers to explanations or interpretations? |
|
Definition
|
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Term
| What is the difference between a theory and a hypothesis? |
|
Definition
A theory has a wealth of supporting evidence, while a
hypothesis is a sort of untested (ore perhaps not thoroughly tested) starting point.
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Term
| True or false: with enough supporting evidence, a theory will eventually become a law. |
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Definition
False. Since theories pertain
to explanations, and laws pertain to observations, a theory cannot become a law.
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Term
Complete the phrase: “Empirical evidence consists of measurements and observations using _______ or
__________.”
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Definition
| The five senses or instruments that extend the five senses. |
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Term
Complete the phrase: “When standard (or accepted) data or results are known, _________ experiments will agree
with those standard values.”
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Definition
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Term
Suppose an archer shoots a tight group that is not centered on the bulls-eye. Is this archer accurate? Is this archer
precise?
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Definition
| They are precise, but not accurate. |
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Term
| True or false: Anecdotal evidence is worthless. |
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Definition
False. It cannot be used as the basis of a scientific investigation, but it
may lead the investigator in the right direction.
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Term
| What is “critical review”? |
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Definition
The formal process by which scientific ideas and results are scrutinized by experts and by
the scientific community in general.
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Term
| When a manuscript is submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication, what happens? (Outline the steps.) |
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Definition
The editor checks to see if the content is appropriate for the journal, and if it is, passes a copy of the manuscript on to experts in the field. The experts review the manuscript and make a recommendation to publish it, or request that certain revisions be made first. Once the revisions have been appropriately made, the editor may then decide to publish the manuscript, after which it is subject to the scrutiny of the entire scientific community.
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Term
How old is the Earth?
SCIENCE RELIGION OR BOTH |
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Definition
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|
Term
What is the purpose of life?
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|
Definition
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|
Term
Through what mechanisms was the Earth formed?
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Definition
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|
Term
Does the Earth contain pieces from older, destroyed planets?
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|
Definition
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|
Term
Through what processes did the biological species on Earth originate?
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|
Definition
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|
Term
|
Definition
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|
Term
What major should I choose?
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Definition
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|
Term
Where can we find other planets like the Earth?
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Definition
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|
Term
Is the gospel of Jesus Christ true?
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|
Definition
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|
Term
What are our bodies made of?
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|
Definition
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|
Term
| What specific processes were responsible for the formation of the Universe? |
|
Definition
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|
Term
| Why does the universe exist? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What does the word “system” refer to? |
|
Definition
| The portion of the universe that we are specifically interested in for our investigation. |
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Term
| What is the purpose of scientific models? |
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Definition
| To help us make predictions about the behavior of a system. |
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Term
| True or false: a scientific model eventually becomes an exact replica of the system it represents. |
|
Definition
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Term
| “A scientific investigation starts with a _________, usually evoked by an observation of some natural phenomenon.” |
|
Definition
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|
Term
| “The testing of hypotheses depends on _____________.” |
|
Definition
| This predictive nature [of the model]. |
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Term
When, as a result of an experiment or observation, a researcher is forced to accept the null hypothesis, what do they
do next?
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Definition
| Revise their research hypothesis (to account for the new data). |
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Term
The “cycle” of the scientific process (prediction, experiment, analysis, and refinement) continues through how
many iterations?
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Definition
| It continues indefinitely. Each iteration increases your confidence that you have discovered truth. |
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Term
Suppose you have two rocks, one twice as heavy as the other. You drop both rocks from the same height at the same
time. According to Aristotle, which rock should hit the ground first?
|
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Definition
| The heavier rock. (In actuality, if the distance dropped is small enough that air resistance has a negligible effect, or if they are dropped in vacuum, both will hit at the same time.) |
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Term
| Who developed and published the special theory of relativity? |
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Definition
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|
Term
| “We use the scientific process ____________ in our lives...” |
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Definition
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|
Term
| There is only one correct answer, and it does not depend on a person's preferences, feelings, or opinions. |
|
Definition
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|
Term
| A person's best educated explanation as to the cause or nature of a particular phenomenon or observation. |
|
Definition
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|
Term
| A generalized statement or description about a large set of observations. |
|
Definition
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|
Term
The formal process wherein scientific investigations are scrutinized by
other experts and by the scientific community.
|
|
Definition
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|
Term
| A visualization or analogue used to understand a physical system. |
|
Definition
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|
Term
Based on reproducible measurements acquired using the senses or
instruments that extend the senses.
|
|
Definition
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|
Term
An explanation of how a particular phenomenon or observation occurs that is
accompanied by an extensive amount of empirical evidence.
|
|
Definition
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|
Term
The set of all other possible explanations for a particular phenomenon or
observation.
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|
Definition
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|
Term
The Earth was formed from a rotating cloud of dust.
Null Hypothesis? |
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Definition
The Earth was formed from something other than a rotating cloud of dust.
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Term
-
Understanding the scientific aspects of this topic [climate change] can aid society in ____________.”
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Definition
|
|
Term
| What is the greenhouse effect? |
|
Definition
| Visible light from the Sun travels through Earth's atmosphere, is absorbed by the surface, and then re-emitted as infrared light. Infrared light, though, cannot pass through the atmosphere as easily as visible light, so some of the energy is retained and/or reflected back toward the Earth. |
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Term
| What is the annual average temperature on Earth today? |
|
Definition
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|
Term
| What would the annual average temperature on Earth be without the greenhouse effect? |
|
Definition
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|
Term
| What are natural climate forcings? Give several examples. |
|
Definition
Anything natural that can affect the climate: variations in
Earth's orbit, variations in solar intensity, volcanic activity, etc...
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Term
What are anthropogenic climate forcings? Give several examples. |
|
Definition
Anything that man does that can affect the climate:
deforestation, carbon released into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels, passing gas (methane), etc... |
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Term
From a carbon cycle standpoint, what is the difference between burning coal and burning wood? |
|
Definition
The carbon in the wood was put there (via photosynthesis) a few hundred years ago, typically. So burning wood doesn't really affect the
equilibrium levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. The carbon found in coal, on the other hand, has been buried under the Earth for the last 100 million years or so. There is no additional photosynthesis to balance out the carbon that we release when we burn coal. |
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Term
| Complete the phrase: “Because the question of global climate change is an ________ one, the answers do not depend on _________________.” |
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Definition
| Objective; what an individual person may believe, or want others to believe. |
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|
Term
The visible part of the moon reflecting the Sun's light on a particular day and time.
Empirical (y) or not (n) |
|
Definition
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|
Term
The relative amounts of lead and uranium found in a rock.
|
|
Definition
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|
Term
| A person's testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. |
|
Definition
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|
Term
Your account of another individual's behavior at a party.
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|
Definition
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|
Term
The pattern made by X-rays as they bounce off a certain crystal.
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Definition
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|
Term
How you feel about a particular class.
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|
Definition
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|
Term
The duration of a sacrament meeting talk
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|
Definition
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|
Term
The similarities and differences between cat DNA and dog DNA.
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|
Definition
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|
Term
| Feelings or impressions received through the Holy Ghost. |
|
Definition
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|
Term
The mass of a piece of wood.
|
|
Definition
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|
Term
The length of a skid mark on the highway.
|
|
Definition
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|
Term
An individual's recollection of events at a family reunion.
|
|
Definition
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|
Term
The specific frequencies of sound emitted by a resonating instrument, such as a violin.
|
|
Definition
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|
Term
| The emotions you experience while listening to your favorite song. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| When does a scientific theory become a scientific law? |
|
Definition
| Never. Scientific laws summarize observations, i.e. they describe “what”. Scientific theories attempt to explain the fundamental workings behind those observations, i.e. they attempt to explain “how”. |
|
|
Term
Consider the target shown to the right. Is the archer who shot the arrows accurate? Is he/she precise?
not hitting bullseye but all close |
|
Definition
| They are precise, in that they keep “getting the same answer”. They are not accurate, however, because the “answer” they are getting is not the right one. |
|
|
Term
What minimum level of confidence is typically required before accepting or rejecting a given hypothesis?
|
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Why do scientists ultimately make a decision to accept/reject the null hypothesis (instead of the research hypothesis)? |
|
Definition
| It is to eliminate, as much as possible, their own personal bias. The research hypothesis is the investigator's best logical attempt at explaining what happens. As such, they are predisposed to want to accept that hypothesis (“after all, I'm a bright person and it's very unlikely that I'm wrong.”) By requiring the rejection of the null hypothesis, the researcher is required to conduct tests that go beyond the scope of his or her research hypothesis – i.e. they are required to eliminate other possible explanations, too. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The formal process whereby scientific work is subjected to the scrutiny and skepticism of experts and other scientists. |
|
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Term
| What specific things happen in the critical review process? |
|
Definition
| A manuscript is provided to a journal. The editor decides if the content is appropriate, and if so forwards the manuscript on to three or four experts. The experts review the manuscript to make sure the conclusions are supported by the data, and that everything appears to have been done correctly. They also ensure that a sufficient amount of detail is provided that another person could replicate the work, if needed. They then make a recommendation to the editor. If the editor and experts are satisfied, the manuscript is then published, at which point it becomes available for the rest of the scientific community to review. |
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Term
Summarize the steps taken in a scientific investigation.
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|
Definition
In a nutshell: ask a question, formulate a hypothesis, make a prediction, perform an experiment, analyze your data, accept or
reject the null hypothesis.
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|
Term
| What is believed to be the primary cause of climate warming over the last several decades? |
|
Definition
Carbon dioxide (CO2) released from burning fossil fuels, an anthropogenic forcing.
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|
|
Term
What is “cap and trade” supposed to do?
|
|
Definition
| Limit the amount of carbon dioxide we (as a nation) release into the atmosphere each year. |
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