The Scientific Method

Syllabus - Spring 2011


Items of interest:



Older items



Jan 19 W Lecture # 1 Introduction; Start reading Sagan
    21 F Lecture # 2 The Scientific Method; Continue reading Sagan; Survey due in class
    24 M Lecture # 3 Induction and Deduction; Magic; Quiz on preface, chapters 1 and 2 of Sagan
    26 W Lecture # 4 DNA, Art Fraud, Shroud of Turin; Quiz on chapters 3 and 4 of Sagan
    28 F Lecture # 5 Observation and Perception; Observation Exercise; Homework #1 due by 11:00am
    31 M Lecture # 6 UFOs and Roswell; Quiz on chapters 5 and 6 of Sagan
Feb  2 W Lecture # 7 Class canceled due to weather.
     4 F Lecture # 8 Class canceled due to weather. 
     7 M Lecture # 9 UFOs and Roswell continued; Memory exercise; Quiz on chapters 9 and 10 of Sagan; Homework #2 due by 11:00am
     9 W Lecture #10 Bermuda Triangle; Memory exercise results; Headlines; Quiz on chapters 11 and 12 of Sagan
    11 F Lecture #11 Guest Lecture: Pat Van Zandt, Central University Libraries; 
                     Midterm paper's title, abstract, outline, and sources due by 11:00am
    14 M Lecture #12 What is Evidence?; Quiz on preface, chapters 1 and 2 of Browne & Keeley
    16 W Lecture #13 Eyewitness Testimony; Quiz on chapters 3 and 4 of Browne & Keeley
    18 F Lecture #14 Eyewitness Testimony continued; Homework #3 due by 11:00am
    21 M Lecture #15 Death Penalty - guest lecture by Professor Rick Halperin (SMU History and Amnesty International USA);
                     Quiz on chapters 5 and 6 of Browne & Keeley
    23 W Lecture #16 Astrology; Quiz on chapter 7 of Browne & Keeley
    25 F Lecture #17 Psychics; 3-page Book review #1 due by 11:00am
    28 M Lecture #18 Psychics continued; Quiz on chapter 8 of Browne & Keeley
Mar  2 W Lecture #19 Experiment Design; Quiz on chapter 9 of Browne & Keeley
     4 F Lecture #20 Experiment Design; Homework #4 due by 11:00am
     7 M Lecture #21 Probability; Quiz on chapter 10 of Browne & Keeley
     9 W Lecture #22 Probability continued; Quiz on chapter 11 of Browne & Keeley
    11 F Lecture #23 How to Lie with Statistics; Midterm paper due by 11:00am
    14 M Spring Break
    16 W Spring Break
    18 F Spring Break
    21 M Lecture #24 Radiation Myths; Quiz on They See Dead People, Or Do They?
    23 W Lecture #25 Cold Reading; Talking to the Dead; Quiz on chapter 12 of Browne & Keeley
    25 F Lecture #26 Cold Reading; Talking to the Dead continued; Homework #5 due by 11:00am
    28 M Lecture #27 Cold Reading; Talking to the Dead continued; Quiz on chapter 13 of Browne & Keeley
    30 W Lecture #28 Hoaxes; Quiz on chapter 14 of Browne & Keeley
Apr  1 F Lecture #29 Hoaxes continued; Final paper's title, abstract, outline, and sources due by 11:00am
     4 M Lecture #30 Threshold Phenomena; Quiz on chapters 13 and 14 of Sagan
     6 W Lecture #31 Threshold Phenomena continued; Quiz on chapters 15 and 16 of Sagan
     8 F Lecture #32 Evolution - guest lecture by Professor Louis Jacobs (SMU Earth Sciences); 3-page book review #2 due by 11:00am
    11 M Lecture #33 Intelligent Design Creationism Preparation; Quiz on foreword through chapter 2 of Schick and Vaughn
    13 W Lecture #34 Intelligent Design is not Science - Guest lecture by Professor John Wise (SMU Biology);
                     Quiz on chapter 3 of Schick and Vaughn
    15 F Lecture #35 Alternative Medicine; Midterm rewrites due by 11:00am
    18 M Lecture #36 Alternative Medicine continued; Quiz on chapter 4 of Schick and Vaughn
    20 W Lecture #37 Propaganda; Quiz on chapter 5 of Schick and Vaughn
    22 F University Holiday
    25 M Lecture #38 Modern Scams; Quiz on chapter 6 of Schick and Vaughn
    27 W Lecture #39 Scams, Guest Speaker: Agent Paul Ahner, US Secret Service; Quiz on chapter 7 of Schick and Vaughn
    29 F Lecture #40 Dr. Snow and Cholera; Barry Marshall and Ulcers; Final paper due by 11:00am;
May  2 M Lecture #41 Searching for the Star; Quiz on chapter 8 of Schick and Vaughn
     3 T Lecture #42 2012; Homework #6 due by 11:00am; Follows a Friday class schedule

     7 S Final Examination: 08:00-11:00am in 153 Fondren Science







Lecture Topics:

2012; Abstinence Only; AIDS Denial; Alternative Medicine; Assumptions; Astrology; Bermuda Triangle; Cannibalism; Cold Reading; Talking to the Dead; Creationism; Death Penalty; DNA, Art Fraud; ESP; Second-hand Smoke (ETS); Experiment Design; What is Evidence?; Eyewitness Testimony; Faith Healing; Flat Earth; Global Warming; Hoaxes; Intelligent Design Creationism; Induction and Deduction; Introduction; Law of Unintended Consequences; How to Lie with Statistics; Trofim Lysenko; Modern Art; Observation and Perception; Patents; Peak Oil; Polls; Probability; Propaganda; Recognizing Pseudoscience; Psychics; Conceptions about Risk; Modern Scams; Scams, Frauds, and ID Theft; The Scientific Method; Science and Religion; Shroud of Turin; Skeletons in the Physics Closet; Dr. Snow and Cholera; Barry Marshall and Ulcers; Searching for the Star; Stellar Evolution; Student Presentations; Threshold Phenomena; UFOs; Vaccines do not Cause Autism; They See Dead People, Or Do They?









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