Discovery

Discovery at Carthage

DISCOVERY is a series of thought-provoking, topics-oriented seminars and investigative experiences in the natural sciences. The stimulating discussions and activities challenge non-science majors with interesting, relevant scientific topics presented at a level appropriate for general education.

Our most general goal:

Allow the wonder and process of science to lead students to acquire and confirm positive beliefs and attitudes about the natural sciences, the limitations of science, and the challenge and thrill of scientific discovery.

We believe that the only way a student can truly learn about the natural sciences is by participating in the process of scientific inquiry. We help the students understand science by giving them the opportunity to do science - not just talk about it. For this reason, the seminars will revolve around a set of relevant scientific issues and ideas. We will explore these issues through hands-on experience, reading, writing, and discussion. In each case, discussion of a scientific issue leads us to actively investigate the underlying scientific phenomena. Topics which have been explored in the course include the following.

The Scientific Method: How do scientists pose and answer questions about the world in which we live? What constitutes an "answer" in the scientific community? Students are presented with the "mystery of the blue beaker" and are asked to design an experiment to help them solve the mystery. They perform their experiments and report the results as if the results were being submitted to a science journal.

The Basic Stuff of the Universe: What are the fundamental building blocks of our world and how do we know this? How have these ideas changed and what precipitated these changes? What evidence exists to support these theories?

Global Warming: What is the evidence that global warming is occurring? What are the possible causes of this phenomenon and what evidence exists to support these predictions? If global warming is occurring, what are the scientific predictions for the future?

Pseudoscience: What is pseudoscience? Does the scientific community have any obligation or motivation to investigate pseudoscientific phenomena?

Chaos Theory: What is chaos theory? Why do some scientists believe that the world is a chaotic system, and what are the implications of that belief? What evidence exists for this belief? What does chaos theory have to say about the computer models we use in so many disciplines?

Einstein's Theory of Relativity: Did the emergence of Einstein's theories prove that Isaac Newton's theories were incorrect? We explore the Special Theory of Relativity and discuss its implications. A summary of Newtonian physics is necessary to fully grasp the significance of Einstein's work. We also explore the General Theory of Relativity on an intuitive basis.

Infectious Diseases: What is the difference between a viral pathogen and a bacterial pathogen? Why are viral diseases so difficult to treat? How does science examine and identify the seemingly increasing number of infectious diseases? While the social aspects of infectious diseases can be quite interesting, we focus on understanding the pathogens themselves and how science approaches these interesting entities.