For the last four centuries, scientists have aimed to provide us with an understanding of the world around us. By all appearances, science has made substantial progress during this time. But is this progress real or illusory? And if it is real, how has this progress been made? This four-week course will consider these important questions.
Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.
Specific topics will include how scientists generate knowledge through observations, experiments, and simulations; scientific objectivity and failures of scientific objectivity; the self-correcting nature of the scientific community; the positive and negative influences that values can have on science; the relationship between science and religion; and the role of the public in guiding the scientific enterprise.
Syllabus
WEEK 1: Introduction and Core Examples
WEEK 2: Scientific Methods
WEEK 3: Scientific Objectivity
WEEK 4: Values in Science
