Exam 2: Evaluating Scientific Claims

Which of the following situations might present a logical reason for accepting a scientific claim made by a person who did not have appropriate credentials for making that claim?

Which of the following is LEAST likely to include unchecked bias when making scientific statements?

You are reading an article in Discover magazine about Tiktaalik roseae,the organism thought to be the link between fish and terrestrial tetrapods.The researcher that discovered Tiktaalik was publicly funded.This article represents a ________ literature presentation of ________ research.

If we examine 100,000 children who have never had the MMR vaccine and 100,000 children who have received the vaccine and find that both groups of children have the same rate of autism,our data would NOT support the idea that the MMR vaccine ________ autism.

Scientists working for a major cosmetics company are attempting to determine if a new face cream can reduce the number of fine lines and wrinkles on a person's face.This is an example of

Scientists at a major university are attempting to isolate the gene that slows the degeneration of collagen in skin.This is an example of

You are reading an article written by Neil Shubin et al.regarding the pectoral fin of Tiktaalik roseae in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.Dr.Shubin is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and is employed by The University of Chicago.This article represents a ________ literature presentation of ________ research.

Claims that are characterized by scientific-sounding statements,beliefs,or practices but are not actually based on the scientific method are properly viewed as ________.

Which of the following is NOT a reason to scientifically evaluate the plausibility of claims made by a psychic who states that a missing child is alive and located in a particular area of the countryside months after the child went missing?

Evaluate the following and determine whether the treatment method is most likely based on science or pseudoscience.Provide a brief explanation of your answer. "The symptoms of your cold are similar to those of mercury poisoning,so mercury should be the remedy you use.Of course,you should dilute it by using one part mercury to one trillion parts of pure water.This one all-natural remedy will treat all of your symptoms.You can trust this method because it is a very widely used system of medicine in the world and its popularity is growing.Babies and pregnant women can use this method with no adverse effects and it works in harmony with your immune system."

The reliability of primary scientific literature is strengthened by the ________ process,in which the work is examined by other leaders in the same field.For instance,a scientific paper examining the evolution of tetrapods would be reviewed by other evolutionary biologists and paleontologists.

Which of the following would NOT be a reason for a peer-reviewed paper to be retracted by its publisher as untrue or inaccurate?

Announcing "scientific" findings in a press conference before they have been published in an established scientific journal suggests

Which of the following statements about the process of science is accurate?

The fact that the onset of autism symptoms typically occur at about the same age children receive many of their vaccinations,including the MMR,is an example of an observed

The spread of measles to individuals who cannot be vaccinated is minimized and/or preventable by ________,which is promoted by vaccinating a critical portion of the population with the measles vaccine.

A research team funded by federal grants is studying the coevolution of pain receptors in grasshopper mice and the neurotoxic venom of scorpions (one of their primary food sources)to determine how the mice have adapted to the venom of their prey.This is an example of ________ research.

A researcher noticed that as the prevalence of cell phone usage increased between the years of 1998 and 2010 so did the number of individuals diagnosed with autism.He decided that cell phone usage by expectant mothers was causing autism.Which of the following would be the first step in evaluating his assumption?

Developing a scientific understanding of a natural phenomenon typically begins by

Claims that are vague,based on unclearly stated research questions and hypotheses,or are contrary to well-documented facts about the physical and natural world are considered ________ claims.These claims fail to generate testable and falsifiable predictions.