scholarly journals The Case for Explicit Instruction of the Nature of Science in Secondary Science Education through the Incorporation of the History and Philosophy of Science

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-8
Author(s):  
Brian Cartiff
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Science ◽  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Explicit Instruction ◽  
General Level ◽  
College Science ◽  
California Institute Of Technology ◽  
Institute Of Technology ◽  
Science Instructors ◽  
Richard Feynman

Richard Feynman, the celebrated physicist, is frequently attributed as saying that “philosophy of science is about as useful to scientists as ornithology is to birds.” Professor Feynman taught at the California Institute of Technology for many years, but perhaps this experience did not afford him the best view of the general level scientific literacy of most people. The inventive Feynman would likely be disappointed in the rigid nature of much pre-college science instruction, and he would definitely be disappointed in the lack of student understanding of the nature of science. The Next Generation Science Standards emphasize the nature of science as one of their standards, but currently most pre-college science instructors do not address this learning target or only do so through the indirect approach of using inquiry lessons. There is strong evidential support for including the explicit instruction of the philosophy of science and the history of science in pre-college science classrooms as a way of augmenting scientific literacy and enhancing student views on the nature of science. This article discusses some of the potential benefits of this instruction and some of the obstacles that must be overcome to implement it.

scholarly journals Science Instructors' Views of Science and Nature of Science

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Karakas
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Scientific Inquiry ◽  
Earth Science ◽  
Science Faculty ◽  
Science Courses ◽  
College Science ◽  
Science Instructors ◽  
Undergraduate Science

This qualitative study examined how college science faculty who teach introductory level undergraduate science courses including the fields of chemistry, biology, physics, and earth science, understand and define science and nature of science (NOS). Participants were seventeen science instructors from five different institutions in the northeastern U.S. and all of them were interviewed. Consistent with previous research, the findings revealed that the participants in this study held sophisticated and complex conceptions of NOS. In some instances their views were in line with the views promoted by science philosophers, and in other instances their views were more mixed and naive. Findings show that engaging in scientific inquiry is not enough to ensure informed conceptions of NOS.

Automated mineral analysis in TASK8

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 212-213
Author(s):  
William F. Chambers ◽  
Arthur A. Chodos ◽  
Roland C. Hagan
Keyword(s):  
National Laboratory ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Mineral Analysis ◽  
Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Mineral Phase ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
California Institute Of Technology ◽  
Mineral Phases ◽  
Letter Code ◽  
Institute Of Technology

TASK8 was designed as an electron microprobe control program with maximum flexibility and versatility, lending itself to a wide variety of applications. While using TASKS in the microprobe laboratory of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, we decided to incorporate the capability of using subroutines which perform specific end-member calculations for nearly any type of mineral phase that might be analyzed in the laboratory. This procedure minimizes the need for post-processing of the data to perform such calculations as element ratios or end-member or formula proportions. It also allows real time assessment of each data point.The use of unique “mineral codes” to specify the list of elements to be measured and the type of calculation to perform on the results was first used in the microprobe laboratory at the California Institute of Technology to optimize the analysis of mineral phases. This approach was used to create a series of subroutines in TASK8 which are called by a three letter code.

Exploring Pre-service Science Teachers’ Perspectives on the Nature of Science: A Comparative Study Between China and Canada

2021 ◽  
pp. 209653112096678
Author(s):  
Guihua Zhang ◽  
Yuanrong Li ◽  
George Zhou ◽  
Sonia Wai-Ying Ho
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Science Education ◽  
Science Teacher ◽  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Science Teacher Education ◽  
Teaching Behaviors ◽  
Preservice Science Teachers

Purpose: The Nature of Science (NOS) is an important component of scientific literacy. Science teachers’ Views of the Nature of Science (VNOS) directly affect their teaching behaviors. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore science teachers’ VNOS and find ways of improvement. This study was designed to comparatively investigate preservice science teachers’ VNOS between China and Canada. Design/Approach/Methods: The study employed a survey design to explore how Chinese and Canadian preservice science teachers understood the seven different aspects of NOS. Findings: Data showed that preservice science teachers in China and Canada both hold a modern view about science education. The level of Chinese and Canadian participants’ understanding of NOS was above the relatively naive level. Chinese teachers had better macro-understanding toward science education but their micro-mastery was insufficient. While the Canadian participants had a better understanding of the NOS than their Chinese counterparts. Originality/Value: Based on the research results and the experience of science education and teacher education in Canada, we suggested that there is a need to reconstruct the preservice science teacher education curriculum in China and promote the transformation in the science teacher educational system.

On the Impact Behavior of a Material With a Yield Point

1949 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-52
Author(s):  
Merit P. White
Keyword(s):  
Yield Stress ◽  
Yield Point ◽  
Impact Behavior ◽  
Longitudinal Impact ◽  
Stress Strain ◽  
California Institute Of Technology ◽  
Static Yield ◽  
Institute Of Technology ◽  
Probable Nature ◽  
The Impact

Abstract An analysis of longitudinal impact tests that were made by Drs. D. S. Clark and P. E. Duwez at the California Institute of Technology on an iron and a steel with definite yield points is described. From this analysis is deduced the probable nature of the dynamic stress-strain relations for such materials. These appear to differ greatly from the static stress-strain relations, unlike the case for materials without yield points. As pointed out by Duwez and Clark, the upper yield stress for undeformed material is several times as great under impact as the static yield stress. The present analysis indicates that under impact, the material with a definite yield point is made harder at a given deformation, and ruptures at a higher (engineering) stress and smaller strain than when loaded statically. The critical impact velocity, defined as that at which nearly instantaneous failure occurs in tension, is discussed, and the factors upon which it depends are given.

Realizing the Potential of JWST High Contrast Imaging with Coronagraphic Phase-Retrieval

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Ygouf ◽  
Charles A Beichman ◽  
Graça M Rocha ◽  
Joseph J Green ◽  
Jewell Jeffrey B ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Retrieval ◽  
High Contrast ◽  
California Institute ◽  
Systematic Observation ◽  
Contrast Imaging ◽  
Space Telescope ◽  
California Institute Of Technology ◽  
High Contrast Imaging ◽  
Circumstellar Environments ◽  
Institute Of Technology

<div>  The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will probe circumstellar environments at an unprecedented sensitivity. However, the performance of high-contrast imaging instruments is limited by the residual light from the star at close separations (<2-3”), where the incidence of exoplanets increases rapidly. There is currently no solution to get rid of the residual light down to the photon noise level at those separations, which may prevent some crucial discoveries.</div> <div>  We are further developing and implementing a potentially game-changing technique of post-processing that does not require the systematic observation of a reference star, but instead directly uses data from the science target by taking advantage of the technique called “phase retrieval”. This technique is built on a Bayesian framework that provides a more robust determination of faint astrophysical structures around a bright source.</div> <div>  This approach uses a model of instrument that takes advantage of prior information, such as data from wavefront sensing operations on JWST, to estimate instrumental aberrations and further push the limits of high-contrast imaging. With this approach, our goal is to improve the contrast that can be achieved with JWST instruments.</div> <div>  We were awarded a JWST GO-Calibration proposal to implement, test and validate this approach on NIRCam imaging and coronagraphic imaging. This work will pave the way for the future space-based high-contrast imaging instruments such as the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Instrument (Roman CGI). This technique will be crucial to make the best use of the telemetry data that will be collected during the CGI operations.</div> <div>  <br />“© 2021 California Institute of Technology. Government sponsorship acknowledged. The research was carried out in part at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This document has been reviewed and determined not to contain export controlled data.”</div>

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