Class scientific literacy - Essay Example

Scientific Literacy Identify a scientist (or a spouse of a scientist) you would like to have a lunch with, and why; what would be the topic of discussion? What specific questions would you ask? I would prefer to have lunch with Reverend Robert Evans. This is because of my interest in Astronomy. There is something about stars which captivates the interest of almost anyone, and there is a mystery to them because of their remoteness from the Earth. Reverend Evans is a Super Nova hunter and I would like to ask him: 1) what fulfillment he gets from and 2) why does he engage in this nocturnal hobby he has.

These are some other questions I will have on hand when I meet him: When (in what year) did he start getting interested in stars? What started it all? How did he start out? Did somebody teach him or influence him to do this? How did he gain extensive knowledge on the subject? Through formal education or mere observation? Who was this person? Where is this person now? There is also a possibility that Super Novas are of varied types. Are there different types of Super Novas? Is there a classification for such?

How does he determine or differentiate one from the other? Where do stars come from? How do they come about? How do they die? Do Super Novas have the same life span as other stars? How often do stars reproduce themselves? With continual research being done to come up with highly developed instruments, how advanced is technology pertaining to Astronomy? How expensive can they get? Can digital cameras do the job of capturing the movement of stars? If not, what is the instrument to use?

Would you recommend what is called “charge-coupled devices” in practicing this hobby? If a Super Nova were to hit the Earth, would the chances of danger be really be very slim that damage would be negligible? What are the chances that another planet like the Earth would be formed? Lastly, what would you advise me if I wanted to pursue the same hobby?2) Many scientists discussed in Bryson pre-dated the Nobel Prizes. Nominate one of these scientists for a pre-Nobel prize - the "DSL100 Award.

" Select a discovery worthy of receiving such an honor and provide 3 specific reasons your nominee should win. I would nominate Charles Darwin for a Nobel Prize. Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by means of what he calls natural selection (Bryson, 2003) is one of the most essential and most fundamental theories of how man evolved and came to be. It is fascinating to note that Darwin adhered to the idea that humans are the upgraded versions of apes. Darwin had other worthy contributions to science but this discovery had the greatest impact and significance to mankind.

Three specific reasons Darwin should win a Nobel Prize:- Darwin was a scientist at heart. At a young age, he traveled the world to make observations on plants and animals. He eventually succeeded and was able to come up with inferences which he wrote in a book entitled “The Origin of Species”. If not for his discovery, other scientists would not have had a basic idea to work on and initiate further studies on the subject of evolution. The central idea in Natural Selection has been adopted by scientists ever since Darwin’s work was made known, up to the present.

- Darwin’s studies also instigated the advent of modern genetics. Most of the scientists’ attitude during those times was to think of how to counter / make a rebuttal for Darwin’s claims. Darwin’s findings triggered varied reactions from varied sectors. There were even reactions as far as the religion sectors especially since Darwin’s theory contradicted teachings from the Bible. Despite having made these discoveries, Darwin did not earn much favor from his colleagues during his time.

It was only later that his work was acknowledged as one of the best discoveries ever made.- Darwin believed in God despite the discoveries he made. At first, Darwin thought it best to hide his ideas, but later on, because of the imminent possibility of being robbed of his idea, he thought it best to come out in the open with or without the favor of the majority.Works CitedBryson, B. (2003). A Short History of Nearly Everything. New York: Broadway Books.