Science 240

Fall 1998

Information about the final exam

When: Monday, 21 December, 8:00am

Where: Our usual classroom

You will have two hours to complete the exam.

This exam will account for 20% of your course grade.

The final exam will cover all readings and lecture material from the sections on "Paradigms and scientific change," "The case of Barbara McClintock," and "Evolutionary theory and the nature of science. The test questions will be based on the study questions and homework questions you already have. The lecture outlines also should be helpful in preparing for the test. Make sure you can fill out the relevant details of the outlines.

Additional study questions

Add "population thinking" to the list of concepts you for which you should be able to provide a precise description.

Add the following question to the list of discussion questions for which you are responsible:

Scientific realists use Inference to the Best Explanation to justify claims about the probable truth of scientific hypotheses or theories about unobservable events. Using the example of the impact theory for dinosaur extinction and all its supporting data, discuss the extent to which using inference to the best explanation supports acceptance of this hypothesis as probably true. Is it the only possible explanation consistent with the data?

Test format

Part A: Understanding basic concepts. Between 40% and 60% of the exam.

In this part of the exam you will be asked to define or explain specific concepts and their importance in the context of the course, or you will be given a pair of concepts and asked to explain differences and connections between them. For example,

What is the likelihood principle and how can it be used in choosing between theories?
What is a disciplinary matrix and how is it important in understanding Kuhn's ideas about the nature of theory change in science?

Part B: Short discussion questions. Between 40% and 60% of the exam.

In this part of the exam you will be given some choice among a small set of questions. For example, you may be asked to answer three out of four questions provided. These questions will be similar in scope and length to the homework questions and will be drawn from the study guides handed out in class.