COSMOS Episode 3: When Knowledge Conquered Fear Worksheet (2014)

Description

COSMOS Episode 3: When Knowledge Conquered Fear (2014) traces the rise of modern science during the time of the enlightenment. The transformation from a religious explanation for the workings of the cosmos to a scientific-based paradigm is told with exquisite detail through the development of the personal friendship between Isaac Newton and Edmund Halley. This episode shows the true predictive powers of science as opposed to mysticism and pseudoscience.

In this episode, Neil DeGrasse Tyson discusses false pattern recognition, the natural human tendency to apply meaning to rare astronomical events, comets and asteroids, the feud between Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton, the application of science to society, and the basics of how gravity affects orbits.

This episode is appropriate for the following classes: physics, astronomy, physical science, general science, history, or philosophy.

The runtime is 44 minutes. The video guide is designed to last an entire class, with some time left over to answer questions or facilitate a classroom discussion.

predictive powers of science, mysticism and pseudoscience, false pattern recognition, comets, asteroids, feud between Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton, application of science to society, gravity affects orbits, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, physics, astronomy, physical science, general science, history, philosophy, the Royal Society, scientific philosophy