Day 3 in SCI110: Science, PseudoScience, and More Statistics

Spring 2006 Schedule
Last time: Statistics
- On-line Statistical Stuff (Mean and Variation) -- have you done it?
- Scientific Method (p. 10)
- Statistical Definitions and Formulas (Page 8, worksheet)
- Population sampling (use your data sheet)
- Using SPSS
- heart rate exercise ("paired information"), and paired t-test
Today:
- Turn in Science Paper(s) -- one for grading, one for "show"
  - For grading: your short focus article on something "scientific"
  - For show: what is science?
- Science versus PseudoScience
- Assignment of homework topic: Investigation of Dietary Supplement (due next class period!)
- Look over Group B questions from the first reading assignment: 1-4,6,9, p. 22
- SEM exercise (sorry: more statistics!;)
  - Sampling Error:
    "An error which arises because the data are collected from a part, rather than the whole of the population. It is usually measurable from the sample data in the case of probability sampling."
  - sampling and resampling exercise
    - Standard Error of the Mean
    - Histograms
    - Random samples
  - Plot from last time
Homework:
- Investigation of Dietary Supplement (due next class period!)
  - Use this page from your workbook (Evaluation of a claim) as a model of things to discuss.
  - Use the headings from your worksheet's questions (Investigation of Dietary Supplement) to organize your paper.
  - If you need to go to two pages, that's fine. Shouldn't require more than two, however: this is a summary.
  - Don't forget the references!

Website maintained by Andy Long. Comments appreciated.