Question 1

The idea of man-made climate change has been very unpopular, so despite the empirical evidence, it must not be happening.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

What does strep throat and childbed fever have in common?

Accepted Answer

A)  Both infections come from hospitals. 
B)  Both cause a sore throat as an early symptom. 
C)  Both are caused by similar viruses. 
D)  Both are caused by similar bacteria. 
E)  Both predominantly infect women.

Question 3

If a scientist does an experiment and gets a result, but no other scientists are able to repeat the experiment and get the same result, what does that mean?

Accepted Answer

A)  The first scientist is a quack. 
B)  The other scientists don't know what they're doing. 
C)  Something about the hypothesis, prediction, or experimental design is wrong in the first experiment. 
D)  The first scientist's hypothesis is wrong. 
E)  There's no way to do the investigation.

Question 4

Why did Dr. Semmelweis think that the doctors or medical students might be at fault in causing childbed fever?

Accepted Answer

A)  Women treated by them were most likely to contract the disease. 
B)  Midwives were better trained than the medical students. 
C)  Doctors and medical students were men who couldn't possibly help with childbirth effectively. 
D)  Medical students and doctors were pretty rough on the women. 
E)  He was just guessing.

Question 5

Is it possible for a scientist to determine what constitutes a good life?

Accepted Answer

A)  Yes. The scientist can measure things that make life good. 
B)  No. What is "good" is more of a philosophical question. 
C)  Yes. Everything is measurable in some way. 
D)  No. "Good" mainly has to do with faith. 
E)  Yes, and whatever science found would be correct.

Question 6

Why is it important to repeat experiments or test hypotheses in different ways?

Accepted Answer

A)  Because more people will believe the work 
B)  Because more grant funding will be sent 
C)  To make sure the predictions hold up in multiple situations 
D)  Because as long as there is enough data collected, results can be published. 
E)  Because that's what science students spend their time doing in order to learn.

Question 7

Since a hypothesis can't be proven, science can't ever prove anything. True or False?

Accepted Answer

A)  True, because something can always be wrong. 
B)  False, because if a hypothesis makes predictions that are correct in many different circumstances, it is considered correct until contradictory evidence arises-which may never happen. 
C)  True, because there is always some situation where a hypothesis will hold up and a prediction will be shown to be wrong 
D)  False, because if a hypothesis results in a prediction that is shown to be correct by just one test, it's proven. 
E)  True, because science is really not the best way to learn things about how nature works.

Question 8

Dr. Semmelweis eliminated ventilation, delivery positions, and patient handling as causes of childbed fever before rather accidently determining what was actually the cause. What was the cause?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Dr. Semmelweis eliminated ventilation, delivery positions, and...

Question 9

The culture test for strep throat takes a day or two but is 95% sensitive and accurate, so it's better than the rapid test. Why do doctors do both?

Accepted Answer

A)  So they can charge you more. 
B)  Because the rapid test is less accurate, but the bacteria is so contagious it's best to get the patient started on antibiotics as quickly as possible, even if it turns out they don't have strep. 
C)  Because it's okay to use antibiotics, even when you don't really need them. 
D)  Because strep throat is often deadly if left untreated for more than 24 hours. 
E)  Because the culture test is less accurate but the bacteria is so contagious it's best to get started on antibiotics as quickly as possible, even if it turns out the patient doesn't have strep.

Question 10

Why is this a poor hypothesis: Leprechauns plant 4-leaf clovers in lawns to bring good luck.

Accepted Answer

A)  It's wrong. 
B)  It's silly. 
C)  It's falsifiable. 
D)  It's not testable. 
E)  It's empirical.

Question 11

Why did women fear childbed fever so much in the 1840s?

Accepted Answer

A)  At that time they didn't know any better. 
B)  At that time, it killed 1 of every 10 women who delivered babies with doctors. 
C)  At that time, babies were much more prone to getting the illness. 
D)  At that time, that illness was much more likely to actually kill a baby that got it. 
E)  At that time, every woman delivering a baby in a hospital got childbed fever.

Question 12

What is your best defense against quackery?

Accepted Answer

A)  Never believe anything you read on the internet. 
B)  Become a scientist. 
C)  Be skeptical and get your information from a reliable source. 
D)  Distrust everyone. 
E)  Don't go to doctors.

Question 13

Exorcisms as a way to cure disease cannot be considered scientific because they violate which of the four assumptions of science?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Exorcisms as a way to cure disease...

Question 14

Science is good at answering questions related to what subject?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Science is good at answering questions related...

Question 15

How do you test a hypothesis in general?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How do you test a hypothesis in...

Exam 2: The Nature of Science