Exam 24: Applying the Science

An individual claims to be able to detect the presence of graves in an old cemetery by using a "dowsing" or "divining" rod. The rod is a forked twig held out in front of the individual as he walks across the cemetery. The "dowser" claims that depending on which way the twig moves (up and down or side to side) he can determine if there is a grave there, and the gender and age of the individual buried at that spot. Which of the following would NOT help you to evaluate if the dowser is a charlatan?

When Lori was diagnosed with breast cancer, the doctor recommended a lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy. Lori underwent the prescribed treatment recommended by the doctor. However, she also continued to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, walk three miles every day, and complete a daily yoga practice. Within about three months Lori was cancer free. Afterwards, Lori told everyone that her healthy lifestyle had helped to cure her. Is this conclusion reasonable given the circumstances?

Evaluate the following and determine whether or not 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."

A large biotech company would like to market a microbe that will help clean up oil spills in the ocean by actually consuming and detoxifying the oil. Would this research be "basic" or "applied"? Explain your answer.

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

This figure, based on data collected by The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, graphically illustrates that a disease is less likely to spread to vulnerable members of a population if most of the population is immunized against the disease. This phenomenon occurs because

Peer-reviewed scientific journals, technical reports, conference proceedings, and dissertations are considered ________ literature.

Indicate below which texts are examples of primary literature and which are examples of secondary literature. -The Proceedings of the 15ᵗʰ Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, a publication of peer-reviewed presentations at a professional meeting

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?

You are reading an article in National Geographic regarding the evolution of humans. This would be an example of

A pharmaceutical company conducts trials on animals and cell lines to determine the safety of a new vaccine before performing clinical trials on adult human volunteers. This is an example of

Therapeutic touch (TT) is a type of "energy" medicine that involves the practitioner moving his/her hands over the energy field of the patient, without actually touching the patient, to redirect the energy field and heal the patient. Which of the following would NOT help you to evaluate the claims of TT practitioners?

Observational studies that follow a particular group of individuals over a certain time period are

Which of the following statements about the process of science is NOT accurate?

A research team funded by a pharmaceutical company is studying the adaptation of grasshopper mice to the neurotoxic venom of scorpions in an attempt to determine how the mice's adaptation could be used as a possible solution to pain management in humans. 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

What is a first step an individual should take when beginning to assess a "scientific" claim made by another person?

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 examples indicates a situation where the researcher is most likely to have a possible bias regarding his/her work?

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?