BMSC101 - Theory and Practice of Science

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

Successful practicing scientists need to have many attributes such as being curious, open-minded, free of bias, resourceful, and creative. Importantly, scientists must also be critical thinkers and excellent communicators. Therefore, it is not enough that they understand the content in their field; they also need the ability to reason critically, often encompassing different forms of logic. Scientists need a background in scientific philosophy and the history of science, so that they understand how science 'works' and how we have reached the point we are at today. Finally future scientists need to be familiar with the form and function of scientific writing, both so that they can utilise and interpret the scientific literature, and so that they can themselves contribute to our collective knowledge.

This unit explores the idea of 'what is science'. To ensure that students appreciate the concept and understand the significance of scientific method, they will be taught hot to distinguish between science, pseudoscience, and non-science. Students will learn about the progress and processes of science through studies of the history of science and examination of key discoveries. They will learn to identify and produce different forms of scientific writing, explain the concept of good scientific proactive, and recognise common forms of scientific malpractice. Students will also develop their critical thinking skills through the practice of formal and informal logic.

This unit forms an essential link to students' progression to ethical, knowledgeable and informed practitioners of science.