Observations & Interpretations

How do we talk about science ideas in this class?
Discussions in school, social settings, and social media often emphasize the difference between FACTS and OPINIONS.

In our class, the framework of facts and opinions is less useful, so we will not use these terms much.

Instead, we will learn to distinguish observations and interpretations.

Observations
An observation is something we can observe. We can use our senses to see, smell, taste, etc.

In general, an observation is something we don't need to argue about, because anyone equipped with the opportunity to make the observation will get the same overall impression.

Examples:


 * "Amir is wearing shorts."
 * "This rock is heavy."
 * "This dog is fluffy."
 * "I smell a sulfurous odor."

Interpretations
Interpretations include statements, thoughts, and questions that we create by mixing observations with OTHER information.

We might be mixing a direct observation we make right now, and comparing it to direct observations we made in the past.

We might mix in concepts or histories we've learned formally – in school, in a book, on the web, via journalism, etc.

In general, it makes sense to debate interpretations! Two different people might observe the same event, but come away with very different interpretations due to their own previous experience, attitude, expectations, etc.

Examples:


 * Observation: "Amir is wearing shorts in this photograph."
 * Interpretation: "That photo must be from the summer time."
 * Alternate interpretation: "Amir wears shorts all year round, so I have no idea what time of year it was."


 * Observation: "This rock is heavy."
 * Interpretation: "Someone picked this rock up and put it here in this meadow, because it couldn't have rolled from that mountain over there all by itself."
 * Alternate interpretation: "A glacier picked up this rock from far away and left it here long ago."


 * Observation: "This dog is fluffy."
 * Interpretation: "Oooooooooooooooh! This dog is the CUTEST!"
 * Alternate interpretation: *sneeze* "I need to get out of here! What an ugly dog!" *sneeze*
 * Observation: "I smell a sulfurous odor."
 * Interpretation: "Steve farted!!"
 * Alternate interpretation: "No! The fluffy dog farted!"

How to use observations and interpretations
These tools help us have civil and practical discussions, even if we strongly disagree about a specific interpretation.

When we make an interpretation that is different from another person, we can discuss:


 * What direct and indirect observations have we made in the past that inform our interpretations?
 * What experience, education, or expectations are we incorporating into our interpretations?
 * What additional observations could we make that might change our interpretation?

Science is changing all the time – the big ideas, the little specifics, the predictions about future events – it's always changing.

Science is changing because scientists constantly make new observations and re-organize their interpretations.