Ecology and Environmental Problems

1
Ecology and Environmental Problems

• Dr. Ron Chesser Lecture 1
• Science, Decision-making processes, social
  systems society.
• READING
• Chapter 1Key Themes
• Chapter 2 Thinking Critically about the
  Environment

2
Assignment

• Give me five universally accepted truths.
• 1.
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

3
What is true? What information is useful?

• Are your truths different than mine?
• What happens when truths conflict?
• Can truth be decided by voting?
• What role does truth play in democracy?
• What role does truth play in society?
• What role does truth play in your personal life?

4
Conventional Truth vs Ultimate TruthWhat is blue
(azul, siene, asul)?
5
Color Blind
About 15-20 of white Males are color blind.
Color blind see as
25 spots Spots 56 Spots - spots
6
What number?
5 is normal Vision 2 is blue-green color-blind
vision
7
Figure 1.1 Flow diagram describing the
scientific method.
 
                                                   
8
Scientific Method

• 1. Observe some aspect of the universe.
• 2. Form a tentative description, called a
  hypothesis, that is consistent with what is
  observed.
• 3. Use the hypothesis to make predictions.
• 4. Test those predictions by experiments or
  further observations and modify the hypothesis in
  the light of your results.
• 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until there are no
  discrepancies between theory and experiment
  and/or observation.

9
Theories, Hypotheses, and Facts

• In popular usage, a theory is just a vague and
  fuzzy sort of fact. But to a scientist a theory
  is a conceptual framework that explains existing
  facts and predicts new ones.
• the theory that "there is an invisible alien
  reading this over your shoulder" is not
  falsifiable. There is no experiment or possible
  evidence that could prove that invisible aliens
  do not exist. So the Alien Hypothesis is not
  scientific.
• A hypothesis is a tentative theory that has not
  yet been tested.

10
Science is consistent

• Results obtained using the scientific method are
  repeatable by other scientists.
• It is difficult to change scientific theories