​Unit Question: "How much evidence is necessary to declare something as true? "



There can never be too much evidence to support a claim, but there can definitely be too little. The more evidence that is presented in support of an idea, the more widely accepted that idea will be. It can be said that there is a direct correlation between the amount of supporting evidence for a claim, and peoples trust in the claim.

Because, in the natural sciences, actual truth can rarely (or never) be determined, the acceptance of a working truth is based on which possible truth has the most supporting evidence, which makes it the most true. Therefore the answer to the unit question is, "The only amount of evidence necessary to declare something true, is more evidence than there is to declare it false."

 



Linking Question: "To what extent should scientists know about the history of their subjects? "

​

The history of a subject is important information to scientists because it can provide perspective and aid in the scientific process. This can be seen in the relationship between today's science of chemistry and the historical practice of alchemy. Scientists, intrigued by this ancient practice, have been able to synthesize gold (the goal of alchemy). without the previously acquired knowledge of the long dead alchemist's, it would have been much more difficult to achieve this goal. Being aware of, and understanding, the history of the subject you are studying can give an individual alternate view points, and keep them from backtracking to what has already been done.