Sometimes I base these blogs on a scientific paper that's caught my eye. I'm hoping that sometimes you'll search out the original reference and read it for yourself. But when a paper is cited in support of an argument – how can you decide whether the contents stack up?
Continue readingCategory: critical thinking
Further food for thought
After I posted Food for thought?, I got a message from a student saying that she'd seen the study reported on the Documentary Channel. She thought the results looked good, but commented … it never stated if they had a control, possibly placebos, so that it can be assesed whether some of the children merely concentrated more […]
Continue readingFood for thought?
We hear a lot, these days, about eating healthy foods (& not too much of anything!). If you read the ads, and sometimes news items, you'll find some particular foods promoted as being particularly good for you. One of these is fish oil, rich in omega-3 oils and supposedly good for brain development, among other […]
Continue reading“intelligent design” – science or philosophy?
At my scholarship preparation day yesterday I was asked if students could expect an exam question about evolution and intelligent design. My answer? No, because "intelligent design" is not a scientific explanation for the diversity of life on earth. My reasons for saying this? Read on…
Continue readingThe nature of science
Do you tend to think that science is a body of unchanging factual information, and everything published in the scientific literature is correct? Read on…
Continue readingRichard Dawkins on the nature of science
Recently my favourite science blogger, Orac, provided links to a couple of videos that I think should be compulsory viewing for anyone interested in learning about critical thinking and the nature of science. So I’m going to give you the links through his website (because I’m pretty new to this blogging business and so far […]
Continue readingExtending our family tree?
You may have read the recent press coverage about the discovery of Homo erectus and habilis remains that suggest that these species coexisted for much longer than scientists had previously thought. The coverage was accompanied by headlines implying that the new finds overturned our current understanding of human evolution. But just how accurate is this?
Continue readingIs it a valid argument?
If you’re like me, you probably do quite a lot of net surfing, just looking for new science stories or something interesting to read. But I hope that you think critically about what you’re reading. Not all websites are created equal, and the material you find may contain one or more logical fallacies. Check them out – not […]
Continue readingThis isn’t an English class!
You’ve probably already heard this from your teachers – but it’s an important message, so read on… The ability to write well is one of the most important skills you need, if you’re going to achieve well in the Scholarship Biology examinations. Don’t believe me? Have a look at the examiner’s report for last year’s […]
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