Observations and Inferences

• Observation means to look at something(s) and realize/ think what it’s about
• Observations:

  • Stay away from absolutes
  • Use words like may,likely, appears
  • Quantitative means measurable or countable (numbers)
  • Qualitative means described (things about)
• Inferences are a idea that's drawn from evidences and observations. It is also an explanation for an observation you make.
• Inferences:

  • drawing conclusions
  • Can’t have inferences without observations.
• In scientific literacy, NEVER use as evidence the phrase “I heard that… or Someone told me.” EVER.
• How you think is more important than what you know
• “As the area of our knowledge grows, so does the perimeter of our ignorance.”
• Predictably Repeatable


  When things repeat consistently, then you can make predictions
• The heart of a Theory is when you have a good understanding of what's happening you can make a prediction of something that hasn’t happened before. 
• A theory is the highest level of understanding that we have of anything in this world.
• A theory explains what has already happened, give us an understanding of what is happening, and gives us predictive power of things that have yet to happen
• If you have an idea about something that is yet to be tested then you have a hypothesis.
• when many hypotheses stand the test of time and many experiments verify them and they can make predictions that are verified.  If it explains what has already happened, explains what is happening and predicts things then and only then can we begin to talk about calling it a THEORY.  So to call something JUST a theory is not giving a scientific theory it's due.  Theories are very strongly supported with evidence.
• A well-known theory is Continental drift; this was first argued by Wegener when he realized that the fit of the continents matched up. It was first a hypothesis that something was happening with the continents but as the years continued, he gathered more evidence that explained that has already happened, what’s currently happing, and with allowed him to gain the ability to predict whats happening next with continental drift.
• Frontiers of science are the unknown: humans going to mars, AI, and gene therapy.
• As our knowledge grows, so does the perimeter of our ignorance.
• Frontiers of science:

  • Don't know what questions to ask
  • Making mistakes that no one knew you could make
  • Stop making mistakes - no longer on the frontier.