Origins 101--12 Data, Interpretation, and Evaluating Scientific Claims Script Origins 101—Data, Interpretation, and Evaluating Scientific Claims We’ve talked a lot data and interpretation so far. / In this presentation, we will define them, give examples, and practice telling the difference between them. / We will also compare the effects of worldview on interpretation, / differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate conclusions from data, / and learn some suggestions for how to evaluate the claims of science. Let’s start with some definitions. / Data are facts or pieces of information. / The word datum is singular and would refer to just one fact. / Data is usually considered to be plural—referring to multiple facts or pieces of information. / But sometimes it is used as a singular collective noun—referring to a body of facts or information We get data from things we observe and things we measure or quantify in some way. We can observe the colors on this frog Or that the stripes go different directions on this zebra. We can observe that the Mississippi flows toward the Gulf of Mexico… the leaves of non-evergreen trees turn colors in the fall… …that that Dimetrodon fossils are in the Permian layers. ….and We can measure things like the height of a Sequoia tree / or the distance around a tree trunk. We can measure the length of an acorn, The number of times a hummingbird’s wings beat per second, And how many leaves are on a poison ivy plant An interpretation is a conclusion we draw about the data. / It may deal with how or why something happens-- Like how leaves turn color in the fall,
Origins 101--12 Data, Interpretation, and Evaluating Scientific Claims Script Origins 101—Data, Interpretation, and Evaluating Scientific Claims We’ve talked a lot data and interpretation so far. / In this presentation, we will define them, give examples, and practice telling the difference between them. / We will also compare the effects of worldview on interpretation, / differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate conclusions from data, / and learn some suggestions for how to evaluate the claims of science. Let’s start with some definitions. / Data are facts or pieces of information. / The word datum is singular and would refer to just one fact. / Data is usually considered to be plural—referring to multiple facts or pieces of information. / But sometimes it is used as a singular collective noun—referring to a body of facts or information We get data from things we observe and things we measure or quantify in some way. We can observe the colors on this frog Or that the stripes go different directions on this zebra. We can observe that the Mississippi flows toward the Gulf of Mexico… …that the leaves of non-evergreen trees turn colors in the fall… ….and that Dimetrodon fossils are in the Permian layers. We can measure things like the height of a Sequoia tree / or the distance around a tree trunk. We can measure the length of an acorn, The number of times a hummingbird’s wings beat per second, And how many leaves are on a poison ivy plant An interpretation is a conclusion we draw about the data. / It may deal with how or why something happens-- Like how leaves turn color in the fall,
Script-12-Data-Interpretation-and-Evaluating-Scientific-Claims.docx