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46 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is confirmation bias? |
A tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms ones preconceptions (what one already believes) |
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What is the bandwagon effect? |
A phenomenon whereby the rate of uptake of beliefs increases the more that they have been adopted by others. |
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What is the better-than-average effect? |
A phenomenon whereby the rate of uptake of beliefs increases the more that they have been adopted by others. |
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What is the overconfidence effect? |
A cognitive biases that leads us to overestimate what percentage of our answers on a subject are correct. |
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What is the availability heuristic? |
Judging the frequency or likelihood of an event by the ease with which relevant instances come to mind. (if it has happened before, you can believe that it will happen again.) |
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What is the bias blind spot? |
Tendency for people to think that they are less susceptible to cognitive biases |
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What is a manufactured controversy? |
An issue that is not in dispute among appropriate experts, but on which public confusion persist where there may be evidence that such confusion was intentionally created by groups motivated by profit or an ideology. It’s not a scientific controversy |
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Why do groups try to create doubt, rather than simply denying inconvenient scientific conclusions? |
Motive is more transparent if they deny the scientific conclusions having chosen to engage the scientific conclusions, groups are forced to offer reasons for ignoring it. Raising doubt is just as effective as. |
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What is the Oregon Petition? |
Shows that 3100 scientists reject the idea of global warming. The petition has been widely criticized. |
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What are some effective ways of magnifying uncertainty surrounding some widely accepted scientific theory? |
Erect unrealistic standards of evidenceEmphasize evidence that is currently only poorly explainedContinue to ask for more evidenceOffers lots and lots of objections (because no-one is able to answer them all |
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Describe three indicators that a controversy is manufactured. |
Non-scientific motivation, for some, to create controversy. Directed towards convincing the public, not other scientists. More attention directed towards undermining one view than promoting another. |
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Why are these three only indicators, rather than completely reliable means of identifying manufactured controversies? |
Appeal to motive is a fallacy, buts it not straightforward in establishing whether or not scientists are engaged. Many genuine controversies start with one view, none of these indicators are perfect, but they are more easily accessible to us (the public) than peer-reviewed work. |
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How did Fourier explain the fact that the Earth doesn’t keep getting hotter and hotter?He suggested that the heated surface of the earth emits energy back into space. |
He suggested that the heated surface of the earth emits energy back into space. |
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How would the Earth’s climate be different if all atmospheric gases were transparent to all infrared radiation? |
All infrared radiation would escape the atmosphere and the earth would be much cooler. |
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Why was John Tyndall interested in the effects of atmospheric composition on global climates? |
He thought it might help him understand why ice ages begin/end.Didn’t anticipate the massive population growth of the 20th century.The rate of industrialization. Suggested that halving atmospheric CO2 would reduce average global temperature by 8 degrees F.Were such drastic changes in atmospheric composition even possible? |
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Whose work in the 1950s challenged previous ideas about the CO2 absorption rate of the oceans |
Roger Revelle |
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What did Gilbert Plass establish in the 1950s that was relevant to the science of global warming? |
Established that higher levels of atmospheric levels of CO2 would absorb more radiation. |
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What does the Keeling curve measure |
Atmospheric CO2 |
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What is the Suess effect? |
Reduced concentration of carbon 14 in the atmosphere as a consequence of fossil fuel burning. |
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Whose theory related ice ages to variations in the Earth’s orbit? |
Milankovitch’s theory |
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Which of the following transparent to infrared radiation: Oxygen, nitrogen, CO2, methane |
Oxygen and Nitrogen are transparent, CO2 & Methane are not. |
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Approximately how many parts per million of the atmosphere were CO2 in the late 1950s? |
315 parts per million |
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How many parts per million of the atmosphere is CO2 today |
400 parts per million |
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How do the atmospheres an climates ofVenus and Mars compare to Earth? |
Mars Atmosphere is 100 thinner, surface temp is -50 C Venus atmosphere denser, 96% CO2, average surface temp is 460 C Earth 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other gases
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Significant evidence of recent climate change |
hottest years on record, global temperature up .76 C, snow coverage decreased 10%, thawing permafrost, rising sea levels, changing rainfall patterns, more extreme weather |
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Why is is problematic to attribute global warming to natural causes |
no actual explanation, obvious more CO2=hotter atmosphere best understanding indicates man made |
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Scientists use air bubbles from ice cores to measure and infer what |
Atmospheric conditions of what gases were present What temperature the ice formed at (used to confirm Milankovitch's theory" |
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Wgy are CO2 emissions the most significant of all green house gas emissions? |
They are the most prevalent |
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Which gas has greater warming potential, Methame, CO2 or CFC-12 |
CFC-12- absorbs more radiation by volume than CO2 does, CO2 only gets attention for being more prevalent |
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Wht is the main complication in evaluating lack of cloud coverage on climate patterns |
Clouds reflect solar radiation which cools the earth but also absorb infrared radiation which warms the earth |
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By what percentage have CO2 levels raised since 1750 |
35% |
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What are two most significant ways humans generate CO@ |
fossil fuels Land Use |
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Wat is the biggest health concern associated with global warming |
access to fresh water |
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What are the four ways the science/religion relationship has been conceived |
In conflict-Pick One Independent Fields-Answer different Questions Fruitful Dialogue-Each can inform areas of mutual interest Integration-Unfied within one though |
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For purposes of reconciling scientific and religious views whats a problem with "Independence" |
Science and religion eventually overlap, no independent |
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For purposes of reconciling scientific and religious views, what’s a significant challenge for “Dialogue”? |
Gods of the gaps fallacy says that both views need to provide answers but historically this is not successful |
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Give an example of a genuine scientific debate with evolutionary biology |
Importance of natural selection vs drift Importance of natural selection vs developmental constraints Cambrian Explosion |
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What kinds of evidence does paleontology offer in support of evolution |
transitional fossil,- jaw to ear transition, and fish to tetrapod Homologies-Similarities in anatomy between different species Pentadactly among mammals-having five digits |
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In what decade did evolutionary synthesis occur |
1930 |
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Why is "teach controversy" flawed |
If you teach one controversy you must teach all of them |
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Why is it a mistake to think that evolutionary theory implies complex organs and organisms arose by chance |
If you have variance in population and they are abundant then dominant characteristics will spread through the species over time and turn into a variation of that species. Mechanism of natural selection (Shows it has happened, trait can spread and change) |
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What is Exaptantion |
Natural selection coops a trait for a new function |
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How have ID proponents attempted to undermine confidence in evolutionary biology |
a. Argues that debatable data offers to little to no support b. Highlights data that evolutionary biologists have explained poorly c. Dismissing evolution as a theory rather than a fact d. Misrepresenting biologists statements e. Manufacturing controversy |
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How would an advocate for ID define irreducible omplexity |
composed of several well matched interacting parts that contribute to the basic function where in the removal of any one of the parts cause the system to cease function |
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Why might someone consider ID scientific |
SETI Anthropology Evidence is weak, questionable inferences, no independent tests, no widely accepted examples |
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Might might someone consider ID non-scientific |
Because some biological systems could not have arisen from natural process no scientific testing self promotion rival theories political and cultural ambitions |
