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 readingTag: critical thinking
The 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 readingPCR – technique & application
One of the topics that you’ve probably covered in AS90718 is PCR – the polymerase chain reaction & its applications. You may have read quite a bit about it. Well, here’s one more item for your reading list.
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 readingScholarship Bio Blog
I’ve set up this blog in response to comments from secondary school biology teachers, especially those preparing students for Scholarship Biology examinations. I hope to use it as a way of encouraging critical thinking, looking at scientific papers that are relevant to the Level 3 curriculum and to Scholarship, and fielding questions that you may […]
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