Essay Prompts based on the Natural Sciences

Prompt 1: Facts are needed to establish theories but theories are needed to make sense of  facts.”

The first prom effectiously connotes the sense that facts naturally are required in order to form a realiable theory whereas, a theory is needed to clearly articulate the certainty of a fact. Such counter exchanging matter expresses the significance of developing a well-reliable theory. This is because, the only difference between a reliable and an unreliable theory is that a reliable theory has backed up facts for support that stimulates ones logic. This proves how important factual data and statistics are in terms of theories since it similar to a protecting shield due to its use of credibility. Clearly this portrays how thoughts without content is empty. On the other hand,  intuition without any concepts are blind since, it is as necessary to make use of concepts/theories in order to make sense of facts. Appreciating the importance of theories and facts allows us to easily comprhend how one another are needed in order for their unity to harmonise thus, stimulating the rise of knowledge and proficiency. 

As evident below, this prompt can be approached in a multitude of appropriate manners with reference to the Natural and Human Sciences:

AOW #1- Natural Science:

1- Scientists have gathered a lot of evidence and information about the Universe. They have used their observations to develop a theory called the Big Bang. The theory states that about 13.7 billion years ago all the matter in the Universe was concentrated into a single incredibly tiny point. This began to enlarge rapidly in a hot explosion, and it is still expanding today.

Evidence for the Big Bang includes

- All the galaxies are moving away from us.

- The further away a galaxy is, the faster it is moving away.

The above facts found by NASA prove my valid point as to how theories similar to the Big Bang theory are needed to make sense of facts of which is what NASA has successfully proven the Big Bang theory.

AOW #2- Human Science:

2- Scientists like the German Biologist Matthais Shlieden established what is known as the cell theory today. This includes the theoretical concept of how:

- Cells are the basic units of structure and function in living things.
- Living cells come only from other living cells.
However, the above theory mentioned stimulated from the fact that all living things are made out of cells. This proves my valid point as it portrays how theories similar to the cell Theory were only developed because of the fact that all living things are made out of cells.

Prompt 2: Given access to the same facts, how is it possible that there can be disagreement between experts in a discipline? Develop your answer concerning two areas of knowledge.

The second prompt effectively allows one to critically comprehend the fact that although the same information is provided to certain people, there is a possibility that this would rise disagreement and contrasting ideas that are debatable between one another. This is the case because everyone is brought up differently in terms of culture, morals/values, religious beliefs and education that plays a major role in shaping an individuals identity. To justify, this does not have to be solely ones master identity but rather the self conciuious and formation of ones identity in terms of personal-exepreinces develops an individuals awareness of his/her thoughts, motivation and intuition. This influences there decision making as the conscious/unconscious mind of an individual would express there perspectives as a by-product of their own identity.


As evident below, this prompt can be approached in a multitude of appropriate manners with reference to the Natural Sciences:

1-- The controversy between whether or not Animal Testing Is Necessary:

- While 93% of scientists were in favour of animal research, merely 52% of the public agrees. This is a "necessary evil" that is not considered controversial in the scientific community.

-- This proves how the taboos including how values play an important role in shaping ones identity since some people value animals greatly and would not want to dare harm them.

2- The controversy between whether or not vaccine cause a higher chances of autism to occur: 

-  In 1998, researcher Andrew Wakefield published a small study in the respected medical journal The Lancet, reporting that eight of twelve children who had received the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine had begun to experience behavioural symptoms of autism. Although recent studies proved this was not the case, some scientists still believe the fact that it does cause a possibility Autism to occur.

- This proves how the personal experience plays an important tore in shaping ones identity since some people would actually witness this and would agree/not agree similarly to the researcher.

Theory VS. Law in the natural sciences

                                                                          The Theory of Evolution:

The theory of evolution in natural selection was first proposed in the early 19th century by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) where he fully formed a theory that comprises of ideas that living creatures are not passively modified by their environment. Instead, a change in the environment creates adjustments depending on the needs of the organisms of which leads to a change in their behaviour, driving the Lamarkian evolution. 

A development that this theory has gone through includes the fact that Lamarck's mechanism for evolution was modified by Charles Darwin (1809-1882) theory of evolution since, Lamarck's ideologies has been contributed in his Darwin's first book dealing with natural selection. To justify, Lamark's theory has been adjusted into focusing on the inheritance of acquired traits where traits changed or acquired over a persons lifetime could be passed down to its offspring. This is different compared to Lamarck's first theory where the environment creates changes depending on the needs of the organisms. 

A challenge that scientists has faced is to explore fully justified evidence of Lamarck theory that this occurred through use and disuse. If an animal usually used a specific trait/characteristics, that trust would become larger or more pronounced. If that trait went unused, it would no longer develop fully and would become reduced.

Some method of questioning were developed that reached new conclusions like how the inheritance of acquired traits has been disproved by advances made in the past century in the field of genetics. Thus reaching to genetical discoveries such as mobile DNA, transposons, symbiosis, horizontal gene transfer, regulatory elements, gene duplication and chromosome rearrangements. These new discoveries have changed the theory of evolution since it integrates Darwin's ideologies with major breakthroughs in biology over the past 50 years.

There is no doubt that a theory comprises of thorough logical explanations of why certain aspects are the way they are similarly to Lamark's theory that focuses on the inheritance of acquired traits where traits changed or acquired over a persons lifetime could be passed down to its offspring. In contrast, a scientific law is predicting the outcomes of certain initial aspects similarity to predicting how far a baseball travels when launched at a certain angle through the use of a specific law in psychics. To justify, a law is the speculation of what happens whereas a theory like the theory of evolution, proposes reason/ answers why it is the way it is. Further more, a theory does not grow into a law however; the evolvement of one usually triggers development on the other. In the 17th century, Johannes Kepler theorised cosmetic musical harmonies to explain the nature of orbits, he developed three brilliant laws of planetarium motions while he was studying the motion of orbits in an effort to support his theory. While his laws were appreciated in the scientific field, gravity replaced his theory of harmonics to explain planets motions. This proves my point that laws resist change as we revise them to suit our needs and development of knowledge. A theories acceptance however is competitive between scientists since the most successful theory is usually the one with the most explanation to it. As evident, the Periodic table was largely accepted due to its discovery of new elements. 

There is no doubt that the term "scientific theory" is misused since it does not explain whether or not the theory has little or a lot of evidence,  the theory of evolution for example has endorsed years of experimental conformation before gaining acceptance by the scientific community. Clearly the vulnerability does not weaken a theory but rather strengthens it by proposing thorough reasoning that may lead to possible laws and discoveries. I believe that both laws and theories play a vital role in shaping the way we perceive aspects in the natural sciences because of the way it allows one to jump to conclusions that may lead to successful future discoveries.