1.In addition to the what of our course (meaning facts about things), it’s also critical to consider how we know things. In this case, the question is “How can we know we actually went to the Moon, and it wasn’t a hoax of some sort?”
In order to see how we can examine such claims, you’ll need to complete the enclosed assignment sheetPreview the document, where you’ll be watching Mythbusters, and seeing how they do their tests!
And here is:
The episode of Mythbusters to watch (Links to an external site.)
https://www.3cmediasolutions.org/privid/106782?key=3e894c3cebae3780e62b450055ad3eaf90aafb95
The episode of Mythbusters to watch (with subtitles)
https://www.3cmediasolutions.org/privid/106784?key=c70471f387e65736bea3a21e7d96d233578b4290
2.”Why People Accept Claims” Forum
For this Forum, we will be having a discussion about “Why People Accept Claims”.
(Before you participate in this Forum, please complete the “Did We Land on the Moon?” Assignment and your response, so you’ll have a starting point.)
Our purpose in this forum is to reflect upon our own thinking (and the thinking of people in general), when it comes to how a person decides to accept a claim. Of course, in science, we expect adherence to the scientific method … meaning we are expected to gather evidence, try to be objective, perform tests, and compare results with others performing tests. Finally, and most importantly, we are expected to change our mind if that’s where the evidence leads.
Making one post to answer one of the questions below
Of course, you are welcome to post more as the discussion unfolds, if there are things you’d like to say.
For your possible questions (pick one you’d like to give your assessment of. You are, naturally, welcome to post answers to more than one, if you’d like to discuss it) pick one of these:
In the Mythbusters episode, a claim to whether or not there was evidence we landed on the Moon was refuted using tests. And yet, presumably, some people might refuse to change their minds, even in the light of evidence. Do you have any ideas in your mind that you would refuse to change, even if tests were performed to show you were wrong? If you do, why would you refuse to change your ideas?
Frequently, claims that are being dealt with like those in the Mythbusters episode are “conspiracy” types of claims. Notice how complex and difficult it is to disprove a claim like this, since anyone who disagrees may be “part of the conspiracy”. How would you attempt to unravel a claim someone presented to you that was a “conspiracy claim”?
