Response To Scientific Evidence

Among the responses from the 125 undergraduates, an overwhelming amount of them cited Scientific Evidence as the main reason why they believed in the existence of entities they cannot personally observe. Within this group of responses, some were simplistic and direct, while others used examples that trace back to scientific evidence as the main justification. Regardless of how simplistic or complex the response was, the underlying similarity among these responses is the adherence to the plausibility of science. Some undergraduates directly stated “scientific evidence” as the justification, while others referred to their education through their teachers, classes, and textbooks as a form of justification. One common justification was citing pictures as a form of …show more content…
This third group, Submission to Science, falls somewhere in the middle along this spectrum. Even though these responses acknowledge the validity in science, many responses use science as their justification, by default, because there’s nothing else. For example, two undergraduates expressed that “I guess because it seem[s] like I learned about them in almost every sci[ence] class I’ve taken. It’s something I don’t understand, but accept to be true” (Electrons #15) and “[electrons] are the best explanation we’ve got for why atoms behave the way they do” (Electrons #27). The responses in this group tend to reference their own education, but the phrasing of their responses highlight their doubts, uncertainties, and overall complacency. These responses consider scientific evidence as plausible explanations because they feel that they “don’t know enough to judge otherwise” (Black holes #100) or “have no reason not to” (Black holes #120) believe in science. There’s an evident sense of indifference within their responses, but because there isn’t a better explanation, they conform to scientific