Scientific Controversy | Process of Science | Quiz

1. In order for a scientific controversy to be resolved, which of the following is most likely to occur?

All scientists must agree on a resolution.

A vote is taken among interested scientists.

Multiple lines of evidence favor one side.

Controversies are never really resolved.

2. Scientists contribute to scientific controversies primarily by

publishing articles in newspapers.

discussions with individual scientists.

debating on TV.

publishing in the peer-reviewed literature.

3. Why did the World Meteorological Organization appoint an expert panel to write a paper about tropical cyclones?

because so much new research had been done, it needed to be summarized

to resolve the controversy about global warming and hurricanes

because scientists couldn't agree on the answer

to prevent more people from getting involved in the controversy

4. A valid argument in a scientific controversy must be based on

personal disagreements between scientists.

explanations of all of the available data.

political and social implications of the research.

only the most recently collected data.

5. Controversies are rare in science.

true

false

6. The Delta smelt is a minnow (a type of fish) that lives only in the estuary of the Sacramento River delta in California. The delta is also a source of drinking and agricultural water for California residents, and intake valves for pipelines are located near the breeding waters of the smelt. Scientists have determined that the smelt populations are in rapid decline and that they need more freshwater than is currently available to them after drinking water is pumped out. Nearby farmers argue that they need more freshwater to grow their crops, and regulatory agencies have faced criticisms from all sides on their management of the water resources. This a scientific controversy.

true

false

7. Many large mammals went extinct in North America around 11,000 years ago, including the woolly mammoth and the mastodon. Based on archaeological evidence, some scientists have argued that hunting by humans, who were relatively new to the continent, caused the extinctions. Based on climate data, other scientists have argued that sudden warming that led to the melting of the ice sheets was the primary cause of the extinctions. In a number of recent studies, scientists have reported sequencing the woolly mammoth genome and running detailed climate models for the time period around the extinction, and new evidence is being discovered. This is a scientific controversy.

true

false