The editors of this book define science and distinguish it from other ways of knowing using the following arguments:
- "People ask questions and make guesses all the time. But few of us ever do much testing and retesting to see if the data we collect are consistent with our hypotheses. This single feature is the essence of the scientific enterprise and the essence of critical thinking in science." p. viii
- “We want students to recognize how the discoveries and failures of science can affect the general public. We want them to know how results can be manipulated, distorted, and reinterpreted by folks with different experiences and agendas. We deeply care about ethical concerns. We want scientists to keep their part of the bargain to follow the canons and traditions of the discipline. We want students to know how changing social mores can force a reinterpretation of what is ethical. We want them to learn how our technological tours de force have created new ethical dilemmas that future generations must solve." p. xi
- “Students are asked to consider if the effect of prayer is a valid area for science to investigate. Is the hypothesis testable and falsifiable? Can science study the effects of other than natural causes? How are the current public misconceptions of science responsible for the endorsement of this type of research? The case opens up a lively discussion of the differences between science and religion, which is useful later in the semester during the evolution discussion." p. 18
- “What makes scientists different is that they vigorously and systematically test their ideas, repeating that process over and over again to seek generalizations about how the physical world is constructed” p. 81
- "Only the most robust ideas have any chance of long-term survival. It is a Darwinian process. Science is self-correcting." p. 267
In summary, the editors discern science as a way of knowing by pointing to its "self-correcting" nature. See this checklist that Understanding Science project has developed to determine if an idea can be examined using science.
