M8A2

M8A2: Science in Today’s World - Reflections

We have covered a lot of information in a very short time in this course. The purpose of the course is to introduce you to some of the exciting things going on in the world of science and to make you a more informed consumer of scientific information. Scientific discoveries are influencing our world at an ever increasing rate, and the democratic process requires an informed population to make wise choices. Each new discovery brings fabulous potential benefits but also raises concerns about possible unforeseen consequences. The analysis of news reports and scientific information presented in this course has helped you to hone your critical and analytical thinking skills about complex problems. These are skills you can apply to many areas of day-to-day life. This final assignment is going to ask you to apply these skills in a reflection on what you have learned in the course, what you found most informative, and why.

Completing this activity will assist you in mastering Module Level Outcome 4.

When writing this essay, be aware that your work has to show significant effort, creative thought, and research from sources inside the modules. Use APA style citations within the text and complete references in your reference page.

This assignment will be a 750-1000 word (3 page) essay. It must include:

· A title page, including the title of your essay, your name, the course, and the date

· 3 pages of text

· Include in-text citations for all quotations and any information paraphrased from sources. Only ideas from your brain do not need citations! Please see the  EC Library tutorial on plagiarism (Links to an external site.) .

· A reference page with complete references in APA style.

Topic:  We wish to bring together all the things you have learned in this course. Thus, please address the following questions in your essay:

1. What is the “take away message” from this course regarding the identification of reliable sources of scientific information? Give specific examples from the course readings.

2. What have you learned about the job (both good and bad) popular publications, such as newspapers, magazines, and websites, do in “translating” scientific research into articles targeting the average reader? Identify specific characteristics you look for to determine the reliability of these popular publications. Give specific examples from the course readings.

3. What have you learned about locating and evaluating reliable scientific sources, such as publications from government agencies, international agencies, and professional scientific organizations? Identify specific characteristics you look for to determine their reliability. Give specific examples from the course readings.

4. Identify at least two scientific topics from the course that you feel you have learned more about and, if possible, where your experiences in this course have changed your mind about those topics. Give specific examples from the course readings.

Additional readings from the class:

National Research Council of the National Academies (2009) Climate Change: Evidence, Impacts, and Choices from the National Research Council of the National Academies (Links to an external site.)  [PDF, file size 8.60 MB]

International Energy Agency, (2015) Energy Matters: How COP21 can shift the energy sector onto a low-carbon path that supports economic growth and energy access (Links to an external site.) . [PDF, file size 2,796 KB] Paris, France.

Nine Things to Know about Stem Cell Treatments (Links to an external site.)  (downloaded from: http://www.closerlookatstemcells.org/stem-cells-and-medicine/nine-things-to-know-about-stem-cell-treatments)