1. Science and God - How Do They Relate: BJ: Chapter 1: The Science of Life and the God of Life pp 2-37 AP: Module #1 Part of the Introduction pp 8-17 Science and God - How Do They Relate Reading Assignments BJ: Intro and Chapter 1: The Science of Life and the God of Life pp 2-37 AP: Module #1 Part of the Introduction pp 8-17 Homework Assignmens Lecture Topics Course Introduction Why Study Biology: Glory to God Studying God's Creation Study matter that makes all things. What is Christen about Chemistry 1. Understanding Creation can enhance your faith Job 38-41 2. Vocation 3. Perseverance 4. Apologetic discussions 5. Help make societal decisions - genetic engineering 6. Care for the creation Plan of Attack (see page ix) BJ 1A God and Science p 2 God as the creator of all things does not need proof - we either believe who He says he is in the Bible or we don t. It is a matter of Faith. Science is based upon observation. As our ability to observe improves scientific theory changes. Things once thought to be true are sometimes shown to be not true.
Today many people put their faith in Science which is really the same as putting there faith in a mankind to solve our problems with technical advancements. But does observation back that up? - Scripture indicates that as long as humans put trust in themselves, thing will tend to get worse. Which seems t be true. BJ 1 A 1 Definition of Science - An organized study of anything that is primarily based upon established facts based upon observation - Man s organized and logical efforts to understand God s creation A primary question is what is truth? Truth what everyone believes democratic view Truth Hunch that is correct - Example Greeks said earth is a sphere because sphere is perfect shape Truth Repeated observations scientific method Truth that which is accepted by faith Truth: The word of God BJ 1 A- 2: God s Truth and Science Physical truths of nature that can be observed is the realm of science God s truth: Revealed truth scripture Unrevealed truth natural laws not revealed in scripture Fallacy: any statement that is in opposition to revealed or unrevealed truth. Four categories of statements: Revealed truth scripture Theory Fallacy Truth definition
BJ 1 B Scientific Method (1) Deductive Versus Inductive Reasoning Deductive: Prove something must be true based upon logic works only if underlying premises are true Inductive: Most probably true based upon observation (Basis of the scientific method) 1.B 1 Using of the scientific Method Steps of the Scientific Method Step 1: Make initial observations of the world around you. In this way you are able to define a problem or question. Sometimes you may use the observations of others during this step. For example, you observe the sky conditions for a month and you notice that there seems to be two types of basic cloud forms, cumuliform (puffy) and stratiform (layered). Step 2: You then propose a hypothesis to explain observations. Your hypothesis needs to be testable, so you can determine if it is true or not. For example, you think about your observations and you propose that the types of clouds, cumuliform or stratiform, are related to how fast the temperature cools off with height. So you state that for cumulus clouds to form the air needs to cool at least by 4 F for every 1000 feet in elevation. Step 3: Test the hypothesis with further observations or experiments. You gather data, temperature information from weather balloons (rawinsondes), and you record the types of clouds that form along with how fast the temperature cools. Step 4: Analyze data from observations or experiments. You then plot the temperature and cloud data on a diagram and see if your hypothesis or prediction is correct. Step 5: State your conclusions about the hypothesis based upon your data analysis. If your conclusions show that the hypothesis is correct, you may want to do further experiments to make sure that your hypothesis is always true, or ask new questions that expand upon the knowledge gained. If it proved to be false, then you need to go back to step 1 and re-examine the observations in order to make a new hypothesis. Hypotheses, Theories, and Laws Hypotheses: An initial explanation of an observation 1B History Theories: Workable hypothesis for body of data/observations - able to make prediction Laws: Description of behavior - doesn't mean that it is correct all the time. Controlled experiment Experiment that are done with control of all variables no experiment in reality can be completely controlled
1B 2: The Limits of Science Limitations Inherent in the Scientific Method All scientific investigations can only deal with physical phenomena To observe and measure something it requires on of man s senses or some measuring device that can translate the observation to something a human can sense Spiritual matters, origins, the reasons why, and the future are not in the realm of science investigations Bias all people include scientist have bias that make them prejudice (prejudge). A scientist who is a Christian should be biased towards the Scriptures A scientist who is an atheist should be biased towards Evolution Limitations of the Results of the Scientific Method Can t limit (control) all variables the exact or absolute answer is not possible Scientific Method can only produce an answer that is usable repeatable in many situations called Workability Limitations of the Use of the Scientific Method 1. Science must deal with observable phenomena 2. Science can only describe what is observed and not explain why it occurs 3. No experiment in reality can be completely controlled 4. Observation may be faulty 5. A persons beliefs (bias) affects his judgment 6. Science must deal with repeatable results not one time occurrences such as miracles 7. Science can not deal with values or morals 8. Science can not prove a universal statement there is no life except on Earth 9. Science cannot establish or prove truth beyond all doubt - only support it. BJ 1B -3 Science and the Christian (p21) Scripture Scientific Challenge - Gen 1:28: Subdue the earth and have dominion over it - What does this mean Gods Expects Man to Use Science - Need scientific knowledge to exist (live) on earth - old ways not necessarily better but scientific progress and technology do present challenges to living a godly life..
Improper Attitudes towards Science - Science is anti God -Science is evil - Science can replace faith in God Proper Attitudes towards Science - A tool to study God s creation Psalms heavens declare the glory of God - A tool to help us live more effectively give us more time to worship, witness and enjoy God s Creation The History of Biology BC, BCE, CE, CCE. Common Era, also known as Current Era or Christian Era, abbreviated CE, is a designation for the period of time beginning with year 1 of the Gregorian calendar. An earlier date is then designated BCE, described as "Before the Common, Current, or Christian Era" The history of biology traces the study of the living world from ancient to modern times. Although the concept of biology as a single coherent field arose in the 19th century, the biological sciences emerged from traditions of medicine and natural history reaching back to ancient Egyptian medicine and the works of Aristotle and Galen in the ancient Greco-Roman world. This ancient work was further developed in the Middle Ages by Muslim physicians and scholars such as al-jahiz, Avicenna, Avenzoar, Ibn al-baitar and Ibn al-nafis. During the European Renaissance and early modern period, biological thought was revolutionized in Europe by a renewed interest in empiricism and the discovery of many novel organisms. Prominent in this movement were Vesalius and Harvey, who used experimentation and careful observation in physiology, and naturalists such as Linnaeus and Buffon who began to classify the diversity of life and the fossil record, as well as the development and behavior of organisms. Microscopy revealed the previously unknown world of microorganisms, laying the groundwork for cell theory. The growing importance of natural theology, partly a response to the rise of mechanical philosophy, encouraged the growth of natural history (although it entrenched the argument from design). Over the 18th and 19th centuries, biological sciences such as botany and zoology became increasingly professional scientific disciplines. Lavoisier and other physical scientists began to connect the animate and inanimate worlds through physics and chemistry. Explorer-naturalists such as Alexander von Humboldt investigated the interaction between organisms and their environment, and the ways this relationship depends on geography laying the foundations for biogeography, ecology and ethology. Naturalists began to reject essentialism and consider the importance of extinction and the mutability of species. Cell theory provided a new perspective on the fundamental basis of life. The end of the 19th century saw the fall of spontaneous generation and the rise of the germ theory of disease, though the mechanism of inheritance remained a mystery. In the early 20th century, the rediscovery of Mendel's work led to the rapid development of genetics by Thomas Hunt Morgan and his students, and by the 1930s the combination of
population genetics and natural selection in the "neo-darwinian synthesis". New disciplines developed rapidly, especially after Watson and Crick proposed the structure of DNA. Following the establishment of the Central Dogma and the cracking of the genetic code, biology was largely split between organismal biology the fields that deal with whole organisms and groups of organisms and the fields related to cellular and molecular biology. By the late 20th century, new fields like genomics and proteomics were reversing this trend, with organismal biologists using molecular techniques, and molecular and cell biologists investigating the interplay between genes and the environment, as well as the genetics of natural populations of organisms. Some Branches of Biology Biochemistry - the study of the structure and function of cellular components, such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and other biomolecules, and of their functions and transformations during life processes. Botany - the scientific study of plants Cell biology - the study of cells at the microscopic or at the molecular level. It includes studying the cells physiological properties, structures, organelles, interactions with their environment, life cycle, division and apoptosis. Genetics - a science that deals with heredity, especially the mechanisms of hereditary transmission and the variation of inherited characteristics among similar or related organisms. Microbiology - the branch of biology that deals with microorganisms and their effects on other living organisms. Molecular Biology - the branch of biology that deals with the formation, structure, and function of macromolecules essential to life, such as nucleic acids and proteins, and especially with their role in cell replication and the transmission of genetic information. Physiology - the biological study of the functions of living organisms and their parts. Zoology - The branch of biology that deals with animals and animal life, including the study of the structure, physiology, development, and classification of animals. An extensive list can be found at: http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/branches_of_biology Biology and You 1. Understanding Creation can enhance your faith Job 38-41 2. Vocation 3. Perseverance 4. Apologetic discussions 5. Help make societal decisions - genetic engineering 6. Care for the creation