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Chapter 1: Problem 23

Any explanation of a phenomenon that includes a supernatural influence is not scientific because a. it does not have a hypothesis. b. it is wrong. c. people who believe in the supernatural are not credible. d. science is the study of the natural world.

Short Answer

Expert verified
d. science is the study of the natural world.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Question

The question states that any explanation of a phenomenon that includes a supernatural influence is not scientific. We need to find the reason why this statement is true.
02

Analyze Option a

Option a suggests that a supernatural explanation does not have a hypothesis. While a hypothesis is important for a scientific explanation, the presence or absence of a hypothesis does not inherently make something non-scientific.
03

Analyze Option b

Option b states that supernatural explanations are wrong. The term 'wrong' is subjective and does not address the scientific nature of an explanation.
04

Analyze Option c

Option c claims that people who believe in the supernatural are not credible. This option attacks the credibility of people rather than addressing the nature of the explanation itself.
05

Analyze Option d

Option d asserts that science is the study of the natural world. This is accurate because science relies on natural laws and phenomena to form explanations and cannot incorporate supernatural elements which are outside the realm of natural world studies.
06

Choose the Correct Answer

Based on the analysis, option d is the correct answer because it explains that science focuses on the natural world and therefore cannot include supernatural influences.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

hypothesis in science
In science, a hypothesis is an essential element. It is a testable statement or prediction about a phenomenon. A good hypothesis should be clear and concise. It should specify what you expect to happen and must be testable through experiments or observations. For example, if you hypothesize that plants grow faster with more sunlight, you can conduct an experiment to test this. The key is that a hypothesis must be about natural phenomena. This makes it possible to test and falsify.
natural vs. supernatural
Science deals strictly with the natural world. This means it focuses on phenomena that can be observed, tested, and verified through empirical evidence. The supernatural, on the other hand, exists outside the natural world. It includes things like ghosts, deities, or magic that can't be observed or measured. Science relies on natural explanations because they can be investigated using the scientific method. Supernatural explanations don't fit this process because they can't be tested or measured.
science and credibility
Credibility in science comes from rigorous testing and peer review. Scientists gather evidence, conduct experiments, and share their findings with other experts. Their work is often scrutinized and tested by others to ensure reliability. Credibility isn't about whether a person believes in the supernatural; it's about whether their methods and findings hold up under scrutiny. The scientific community values evidence and replicable results. This process builds trust and credibility in scientific explanations.
nature of scientific explanations
Scientific explanations must be based on observed phenomena and must be testable. They rely on data, experiments, and observations to form conclusions about the natural world. For instance, explaining the water cycle involves understanding evaporation, condensation, and precipitation—all natural processes we can observe and measure. Additionally, scientific explanations are open to revision. New evidence can lead to new understandings and explanations. This flexibility allows science to grow and refine its knowledge of the world.

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