Nature of Scientific Inquiry Syllabus
Instructor: Scott Paterson
Office SCI 307; phone = 06103; email = paterson@usc.edu.
Office Hours: TBA and anytime my door is open.
This course is designed for anyone with an interest in the physical sciences. The course considers the nature of scientific inquiry in comparison to other “world views” and the relationship of science to other aspects of human knowledge. We will explore how science is done, how new scientific paradigms (broad scientific hypotheses) are developed and older paradigms discarded or changed, and the limitations of science. We will then examine a history of what scientists believed our universe looks like and how it operates. Examples of scientific ideas and paradigm shifts will come from the realm of physical science (astronomy, physics, chemistry, earth sciences) with modest use of mathematics. By the end of the semester we hope that all students acquire a more 'modern' scientific view of the natural world around us, a better understanding of what we know and don't know, and develop a more questioning attitude with regards to the process of learning about our universe.
Grading
3 Midterm Exams 60% (15% for first, 20% for second, and 25% for third midterm),
Lab 30% (attending and passing the lab is required to pass the course)
10 random pop quizzes in lecture 10%
MDA 140. There is a multimedia add-on available for this course. Successful completion will result in your grade being boosted to the next available energy state (e.g., B+ to A-)
JEP: There is also a JEP option available to a limited number of students. Successful completion of this option has the same affect as the MDA add-on. Contact the JEP office immediately if interested (http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/jep/).
Grading for exams and the course is on a curve, but if you get the following total percents you will not do worse than the following grades: 90%-100% A, 80%-90% B, 70%-80% C, 60%-70% D, <60% not so good. Students missing a higher grade by less than 1% are eligible (at our discretion) to receive the higher grade based on the following: (1) showing improvement in midterm scores, (2) repeated class participation, and (3) regular and collegial participation in labs