Botkin Environmental Science Earth as Living Planet 8th txtbk

38 CHAPTER 2 Science as a Way of Knowing: Critical Thinking about the Environment
Measurements are approximations that may be more or
less exact, depending on the measuring instruments and
the people who use them. A measurement is meaningful
when accompanied by an estimate of the degree of
uncertainty, or error.
Accuracy in measurement is the extent to which the
measurement agrees with an accepted value. Precision
is the degree of exactness with which a measurement
is made. A precise measurement may not be accurate.
The estimate of uncertainty provides information on
the precision of a measurement.
A general statement that relates and explains a great
many hypotheses is called a theory. Theories are the
greatest achievements of science.
Critical thinking can help us distinguish science from
pseudoscience. It can also help us recognize possible
bias on the part of scientists and the media. Critical
thinking involves questioning and synthesizing information
rather than merely acquiring information.
REEXAMINING THEMES AND ISSUES
Global
Perspective
The global perspective on environment arises out of new findings in environmental
science.
Urban World
Our increasingly urbanized world is best understood with the assistance
of scientific investigation.
People
and Nature
Solutions to environmental problems require both values and knowledge.
Understanding the scientific method is especially important if we
are going to understand the connection between values and knowledge,
and the relationship between people and nature. Ultimately, environmental
decisions are policy decisions, negotiated through the political
process. Policymakers often lack sufficient understanding of the scientific
method, leading to false conclusions. Uncertainty is part of the nature of
measurement and science. We must learn to accept uncertainty as part of
our attempt to conserve and use our natural resources.
Science
and Values
This chapter summarizes the scientific method, which is essential to analyzing
and solving environmental problems and to developing sound approaches
to sustainability.
KEY TERMS
controlled experiment 27
deductive reasoning 28
dependent variable 26
disprovability 25
experimental errors 32
fact 26
hypothesis 26
independent variable 26
inductive reasoning 27
inferences 26
manipulated variable 26
model 29
observations 26
operational definitions 27
qualitative data 27
quantitative data 27
responding variable 27
scientific method 24
scientific theory 29
systematic errors 32
variables 27