5 minute read
1.1 Science is the study of the natural and physical world
Learning intentions
By the end of this topic, you will be able to: • describe the questions scientists might ask • describe where and how scientific investigations can occur.
Video 1.1A Ask a scientist – Dr Aaron Stewart (entomologist)
Video 1.1B Ask a scientist – Dr Jo Whittaker (geologist)
Video 1.1C Ask a scientist – Dr Niraj Lal (physicist)
Video 1.1D Ask a scientist – Ms Jenny Powell (environmental scientist)
scientist a person who studies the natural and physical world
philosopher a ‘lover of knowledge’; someone who studies ideas, theories and questions
science the study of the natural and physical world
Key ideas
• Science measures what we observe (see, hear, smell and feel) and organises it into testable explanations. • Scientists have jobs that focus on asking questions and finding answers. • Some scientists work in a laboratory; all scientists work in teams. • Scientists answer questions by observing, recording and interpreting what they find.
Curiosity through history Curiosity today Many scienti c discoveries start with one Science is in the news every day. Some issues person who is curious about something. Our that scientists are curious about right now world would be a very different place without include alternative and ‘green’ energy sources, people asking questions, such as ‘How does clean drinking water and food for a growing this work?’ or ‘Why world population, and new cures for diseases is this so?’ such as the Ebola or Corona viruses. Scientists Sometimes ask questions about the survival of the human curiosity comes race and space travel, and whether the human from necessity. brain could be replaced by a computer. Science To survive, the is an ongoing process that is never ‘ nished’ – it rst humans is always changing. had to discover through trial and error which foods were edible and which were Figure 1 Early scientists were called natural poisonous. This was philosophers. curiosity with lifeand-death results! The information was then passed from person to person to bene t many more people. Curiosity can also come from the desire to know more. In ancient Greece, there was much curiosity about the stars, the Sun, the Moon and our own planet. Early scientists were not called scientists at all – they were called ‘natural philosophers’ because of their interest in studying nature (Figure 1). Philosopher means ‘lover of knowledge’. Natural philosophers used their observations to develop calendars, to locate the Earth in the universe and to show that the Earth is round and not at. Finding answers to problems that affect people and society is another result of curiosity (Figure 2). Many of the great advances in medicine, such as vaccinations and the discovery of penicillin, are the result of years of research. They have changed our lives, and mostly for the better.
Scientists create tsunami warning system Scientists find cause of disease outbreak Scientists develop cervical cancer vaccine SCIENTIST AWARDED AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEARDRAFT
Figure 2 Curiosity leads scientists to new discoveries. Scientists in the world There are four main branches of science: biology, physics, chemistry, and earth and space science. Within each of these branches there are many different speci c science professions that can overlap with one another. Usually, a scientist has dedicated years of study to specialise in one particular area. Figures 3–8 show six different types of scientists and a question they may spend time researching. Science is an ever-expanding search for knowledge and, as you will read, there is still a lot of research to be done.
Figure 3 A pharmacologist studies medicines and drugs and their effects on the human body. Is an experimental vaccine for the Ebola or Corona viruses safe for human trials? Figure 4 A palaeontologist studies ancient life, including dinosaur fossils. What can the mass extinction of dinosaurs teach us about modern life on Earth? Figure 5 An environmental scientist studies the environment. How is climate change affecting the Earth?
atmosphere the envelope of gases surrounding the Earth or Retrieve another planet 1 Identify (write) the name that was given cell to the early scientists. (in biology) the building 2 Identify the four main branches of block of living things science described in this section. Comprehend 3 Describe one reason why being curious and asking questions is important in science. 4 Describe one idea or invention that has changed in your lifetime due to science. 5 The meteorologist in Figure 6 is studying how to predict cyclones. Describe one advantage of this research. 6 The environmental scientist in Figure 5 is investigating climate change. Identify two other scientists in this section who may work with an environmental scientist.
Figure 6 A meteorologist studies the Figure 8 A nanotechnologist studies atmosphere and weather patterns. substances at the atomic (very small) How can we accurately predict cyclones? scale. Can we design drugs to target individual cells? 1.1 Check your learning Apply 8 Look carefully at Figure 9. Propose a possible question about gorillas that the scientist may be investigating. Describe the risk the close contact may have to: a the scientist b the gorillas. Figure 9 A scientist observes gorillas
Figure 7 A marine biologist studies life in the oceans and seas. How will rising sea waters affect the Great Barrier Reef? DRAFT
Analyse
7 It is often said that science is never
‘ nished’. Evaluate the truth of this statement (by providing examples of science that are never nished and deciding if this statement is true).
Quiz me Complete the Quiz me to check how well you’ve mastered the learning intentions and to be assigned a worksheet at your level.
