Scientific Misconceptions
Week 7: Scientific Misconceptions
Please complete this Astrology Survey by 5:00 PM the day before class. This survey data will be shared with the class; it will not be shared anywhere else. Feel free to use just your first name if you wish.
Please read this article on scientific misconceptions.
In about a page, describe your answers to the following questions. Please submit them by 5:00 PM the day before class.
In the article, the author chooses five examples of scientific misconceptions. Do you think that the article's choices of scientific misconceptions are appropriate? Would you choose different misconceptions?
Choose one of the misconceptions and do a little research on that topic. Do you think that the author's explanation, in light of your research, is clear and accurate?
Astrology Activity
During class, we will split into groups to work on our own presentations regarding scientific misconceptions.
The Astrology Survey data is here. In your groups, please use this data to answer the following questions:
Is there a correlation between students' astrology signs and the (sham) sign which they selected as their best fit?
Is there a correlation between the (sham) sign which they selected as their best fit and the sign which actually corresponds to the description?
Please come up with a hypothesis regarding why students chose the descriptions they did. Can you think of a way of testing this hypothesis? Think of and describe an experiment that could be conducted to test it.
You may use Excel, Numbers, Sheets, or the Data Explorer app. Present your work as a PowerPoint presentation.
Submit Assignment
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