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Exam 2: Evaluating Scientific Claims

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Question 21

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Therapeutic touch (TT) is a type of "energy" medicine that involves the practitioner moving his or her hands over the energy field of the patient,without actually touching the patient,to redirect the energy field and heal the patient.Which of the following would be the first concept to investigate to help evaluate the claims of TT practitioners?

A) documentable and repeatable evidence that an external energy field actually exists for humans
B) documentable and repeatable evidence that any existing energy field can be manipulated by merely passing hands over it
C) documentable and repeatable evidence that TT practitioners can, without seeing their subjects, actually feel the energy field of a patient
D) documentable claims by TT practitioners and their patients that the patients thought they felt better after being treated by the TT practitioner even though there was no change in their diseases

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Question 22

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A research team funded by federal grants is studying the coevolution of pain receptors in grasshopper mice and the neurotoxic venom of scorpions (one of their primary food sources) to determine how the mice have adapted to the venom of their prey.This is an example of ________ research.

A) basic
B) applied
C) pseudoscientific
D) random

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Question 23

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Claims that are characterized by scientific-sounding statements,beliefs,or practices but are not actually based on the scientific method are properly viewed as ________.

You are reading an article written by Neil Shubin et al.regarding the pectoral fin of Tiktaalik roseae in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.Dr.Shubin is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and is employed by The University of Chicago.This article represents a ________ literature presentation of ________ research.

The graph below illustrates the predicted number of meningitis cases with or without herd immunity after the initiation of the meningitis vaccination program in the United Kingdom in 1999.Write a short paragraph comparing the observed number of cases to the predicted number of cases.Assess the predictive value of the model used to generate the graph and how this relates to the prediction of the number of cases that would exist without herd immunity.

Although it seems contradictory,real science does not intend to "prove" a hypothesis to be true.This is because

Observational studies that follow a particular group of individuals over a certain time period are ________ studies.

Between 1997 and 2007,mobile cell phone subscriptions have steadily increased from 18 users per 100 inhabitants to roughly 97 users per 100 inhabitants in developed countries.During this same time,diagnosed cases of autism have also steadily increased from around 50,000 to 250,000.Your friend decides that cell phones must cause autism.Briefly describe what your response would be to your friend's conclusion,indicating any possible relationship(s)that may or may not exist.

Why is it necessary to receive a new flu vaccine each year?

Which of the following would NOT be a situation where your own scientific literacy would be helpful in decision-making?

The figure below,based on data collected by The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,graphically illustrates that a disease is less likely to spread to vulnerable members of a population if most of the population is immunized against the disease.This phenomenon occurs because

A friend tells you that vaccines,in general,are not safe and that no one is keeping track of the side effects and dangers associated with vaccines.Your friend has decided that he will not be vaccinated and will not have any of his children vaccinated.You want to encourage your friend to reconsider his views,so you share with him that there are actually various organizations continually testing and evaluating vaccines for effectiveness,safety,and side effects.Summarize the three ways this occurs.

The figure below,based on data collected by The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,graphically illustrates that as

Scientists working for a major cosmetics company are attempting to determine if a new face cream can reduce the number of fine lines and wrinkles on a person's face.This is an example of

A research team funded by a pharmaceutical company is studying the adaptation of grasshopper mice to the neurotoxic venom of scorpions in an attempt to determine how the mice's adaptation could be used as a possible solution to pain management in humans.This is an example of ________ research.

Developing a scientific understanding of a natural phenomenon typically begins by

Indicate which of the following examples are most likely "real science" and which are most likely "pseudoscience." -When this herbal remedy was given to 1,500 individuals who suffer from high blood pressure,75 percent of those individuals experienced a decrease in their blood pressure.This was compared to a decrease in the blood pressure of 35 percent of the 1,500 individuals who were given the placebo.Another 1,500 participants in the study were given the standard blood pressure medication and 73 percent of those individuals experienced a reduction in their blood pressure.

An individual claims to be able to detect the presence of graves in an old cemetery by using a "dowsing" or "divining" rod.The rod is a forked twig held in front of the individual as he walks across the cemetery.The "dowser" (person who is using the dowsing rod) claims that depending on which way the twig moves (up and down or side to side) he can determine if there is a grave there and the gender and age of the individual buried at that spot.Which of the following would NOT help evaluate if the dowser is a fraud?

You discover that a holistic treatment called “ear candling” involves putting the end of a wax-coated cloth cone (a “candle”) into your ear and lighting it on fire, letting it burn to within about four inches of your face, and then repeating with a new candle. This process is supposed to remove tension, anxiety, and stress from your body. Which of the following statements or questions would be MOST helpful in scientifically evaluating these claims?

How does a chicken pox vaccine stimulate immunity in an individual human? Be sure to accurately include the following terms: antibodies,disease organism,immune system,vaccine,virus.