CT Scan: Critical Thinking Scan
Observational vs. Historical Science
Season 7, Episode 1 • 11-Nov-2020
Is there really a difference between observational science, which examines facts in the present, and historical science, which draws conclusions about the past? Not everyone thinks so. The answer has major implications for critical thinking, so let’s unpack the definitions for these two types of science and investigate whether the distinction between them is valid.
Up Next in S7: "Evidence for Evolution"
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Are Soapberry Bugs Evidence for Evolu...
“Evolution is supported by an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence.” At least, that’s what a first-year biology textbook said, citing natural selection in soapberry bugs as the first example of such evidence. Let’s apply the 7 Checks of Critical Thinking to see whether this claim is true.
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Drug Resistant Bacteria – Part 1
Textbooks often call antibiotic-resistant bacteria prime “evidence for evolution.” Based on a real textbook example, let’s use Critical Thinking Checks #1-5 to look at what’s really going on in the observational science of bacteria resistance. There’s a lot more to the story than what many textbo...
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Drug Resistant Bacteria – Part 2
Textbooks often call antibiotic-resistant bacteria prime “evidence for evolution.” Based on a real textbook example, let’s use Critical Thinking Check #6 to look at what’s really going on in the observational science of bacteria resistance. There’s a lot more to the story than what many textbooks...
