Science in Everyday Life - Research Paper Example

Science is used in everyday life. For Scenario1, I arrive at home, unlock the front door, and turn on the light inside the house. However, the light does not come on. In order to solve this problem, the scientific method will be used. The first step of the scientific method is asking the question, which is: Why is the light not turning on? The problem is that even if I switch on the light, it does not come on at all. The second step of the scientific method is gathering information about the question. There must be something wrong with the light bulb, or the electricity, or the wiring. I will check first, if there is electricity. I will turn on the light in the living room, and if it turns on, then there is no problem with electricity. Also, since the electric wire of the working light is connected to the one that is not turning on, it is possible that the electric wiring inside the front door does not have any problem too. The third step of the scientific method is forming a testable hypothesis (Mueller, 2012, p.9). The hypothesis is that the light is not turning on, because the light bulb is already dead and must be replaced. If I replace the bulb, the light bulb will turn on again. The fourth step of the scientific method is doing the experiment. I will get a new light bulb and replace the one near the door. I will turn the switch on, and if it turns on, it means that my hypothesis is right. The fifth step of the scientific method is making a conclusion. My conclusion is that if the light is not turning on, and if there is no blackout or wiring problems, it is likely that the light bulb is dead and must be replaced. Hence, it is advised that there must be spare light bulbs for future replacement needs. For the Scenario 2, I fried one whole tilapia at the kitchen. I went to the door to answer the doorbell. When I came back, the tilapia was missing. The first step of the scientific method is asking the question, which is: What happened to the tilapia? The problem is that I just left it for a few minutes, and then it vanished. The second step of the scientific method is gathering information about the question. Someone or something must have stolen my food. It cannot be a person, because I am alone in the house. The back door is also closed. It must be an animal that is large enough to steal it, but small enough it to quickly snatch it. We have a pet cat at home, Lilly. It is possible that she stole the fish, while I left to answer the doorbell. At the moment, when I call Lilly, she no longer comes to me. She must be doing something, or she must have done something wrong. Lilly is very sensitive to being scolded. She knows when she has been a bad cat, so she frequently hides, when she has done something bad. The third step of the scientific method is forming a testable hypothesis (Mueller, 2012, p.9). The hypothesis is that the Lilly jumped on my plate and stole my fish. Right now, she is eating it somewhere in or outside the house. The fourth step of the scientific method is doing the experiment. I will look around the house and check out all of Lilly’s favorite places. If I find her eating the fish, or if I find the bone of the fish, then it is clear that she is the culprit. I looked outside and I saw Lilly finishing off the fish. When she saw me, she ran away with the fish. The fifth step of the scientific method is making a conclusion. My conclusion is that if I leave food on the table and do not care to cover it securely, Lilly might take it and eat it. Hence, next time, if I cook something, I should hide it in the drawer, so that I can protect it from being eaten first by Lilly. Part II: Why I Cannot Live With/Without Science Science permeates every aspect of each typical day of my life. I wake up to the alarm of my cellular phone, which is a technological product. Technology is applied science. Then, I eat breakfast of cereal and milk. Cereal is a product of science too. Gathering milk and delivering it to the stores depend on organizations and people. These people use the scientific method in ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of their business processes. After my breakfast, I take a bath. I take a hot shower bath, which is also a form of technology. Subsequently, I dress up and bring my things to school. I ride my car, which is a technological product. After I attend my classes, I go to the library to do some research using the Internet. The Internet is also a product of science. All buildings and facilities I use are outcomes of engineering and architecture, which use scientific methods. When I go back home, I eat supper, play some games online, watch some TV, and then go to sleep. The bed that I sleep on is a product of science, because people test many forms of wood and mattresses, before a high-quality bed is made. Science, therefore, affects all my activities from the time I wake up to the time I sleep. Science has improved the quality of my life, because scientific knowledge enables people to build new technologies, resolve practical problems, and formulate informed decisions, at individual and collective levels (Understanding Science, 2012). Science results to useful products, because its applications produce new discoveries, skills, knowledge, and scientific investigations (Understanding Science, 2012). An example is the development of computers and the Internet. Because of these technologies, I can speak to my friends and relatives, who are far from me, and I can also tap a wide array of knowledge. I can access library databases online, which will help me do my assignments more efficiently and effectively. The time that I saved can be used to do other important tasks, or to have some rest to re-energize myself. Science has negative effects also on society through the technology that it helps produce. The main problems with science are from technologies that have adverse effects on people and their environment. An example is pollution from automobiles that create air pollution. Industries also contribute to air, land, and water pollution. Accumulated air pollution increases greenhouse gases that result to climate change and global warming. Communities generate land pollution, especially because of non-biodegradable trash that come from the plastic and electrical and electronic products that they throw away. Another bad effect of technology is cognitive in nature. In the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Nicholas Carr argued that spending too much time on the Internet has altered how he thinks. He has a hard time reading novels and long sources of information online, for instance. He believes that because of the Internet, some people’s attention spans have shortened, and people have a hard time conducting deep or critical thinking. It is possible that because everything is easy to access nowadays, some people have lost their ability to evaluate sources and to think critically about them. Thus, the negative effects of science come from people too. They create products that do not consider the effects on other people, beings (i.e. animals), and their environment. I do not think that I can survive without science, because even in simple activities, science can be used to conduct them, or to resolve simple problems. For example, even if I live like Henry David Thoreau in Walden, I have to apply the scientific method to learn new skills that are critical for my survival in the woods. I also still need some simple technologies using wood or stones, which I can make through scientific thinking. In addition, I can use scientific knowledge to make important decisions. For instance, since I know Newton’s Laws of Motion, I can use that in developing technologies, or in solving daily problems. Science is important to having an orderly life that makes sense, and in unraveling many problems in life. I may live without certain tools, such as a TV set or my cell phone, but the basic steps of the scientific method are important to my existence, as well as scientific knowledge that help me understand what is happening around me. This course affected my view of science, because I realized that science is not something that is abstract only, or something that only scientists understand and can make use of. Science is a fundamental part of our logic, and for me, logic is important. If science is used in logic, then I can use it to live a good and meaningful life. Of course, science is not everything. My faith in God and in people, for instance, is not all based on science. I cannot see, or directly speak to God, but I continuously believe in His power and existence. I also love people without understanding its logic. There is no logic when some people have hurt you, but you still trust and love them. Science is an elementary part of quality life, but it does not fulfill all my needs. From this course, I appreciate what science can and cannot do for my life. References Carr, N. (2008, July/August). Is Google making us stupid? The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/6868/ Mueller, J. (2012). Chapter 1: Studying social psychology. Retrieved from Resources for the Teaching of Social Psychology. http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/crow/dunntext.pdf Understanding Science. (2012). Benefits of science. University of California Museum of Paleontology. Retrieved from http://www.understandingscience.org Read More