Addresses course outcomes 1-4:
• recognize and explain how the scientific method is used to solve problems
• make observations and discriminate between scientific and pseudoscientific explanations
• weigh evidence and make decisions based on strengths and limitations of scientific knowledge and the scientific method
• use knowledge of biological principles, the scientific method, and appropriate technologies to ask relevant questions, develop hypotheses, design and conduct experiments, interpret results, and draw conclusions
1. Select one of the topics listed below.
2. Find articles related to the topic.
3. Write two pages, double spaced, excluding references. You must read the articles that you find and summarize the information they contain briefly in your own words. Extensive quotes from the article are discouraged. This assignment demonstrates the acceptable, ethical, and academic method for citing information from a public source. You may not use online encyclopedias as a source more than once. Use APA style for citing references).
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Topics (select one)
a) Genetically modified food. What is the purpose of human-made genetic recombinations in food? Are foods that contain genes resulting from artificial genetic recombinations really safe? What foods in your supermarket result from genetic recombination? What types of regulations exist for these foods? (For example, you might search the Food and Drug Administration website.) Clearly explain your reasoning for each answer.
b) Stem cells. A relative of a friend of yours had a spinal cord injury after a bad car accident. The medical team has decided that this patient is a good candidate for a clinical trial using stem cell therapy. Your friend has not had a biology course since high school, so you are going to write for him or her a two-page discussion of stem cell information. In your discussion, include a description of the biology of stem cells, and explain how these cells are unique in their ability to treat diseases and injury. The following website from NIH regarding stem cell research will be very helpful: https://stemcells.nih.gov/index.asp.
c) Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) and tar sands (oil sands). With society's dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels, the oil & gas industry is turning more to use of hydraulic fracturing and tar sands to extract natural gas and oil. A friend asks you. "What's all this controversy in the news about fracking and tar sands?" Briefly explain to your friend how hydraulic fracturing and oil sands are used to obtain fossil fuels. Then, in more detail, describe the environmental problems involved in these processes and why they are controversial. Finally, give your opinions on possible solutions to the problems, with your reasoning backed by the references that you studied.