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07.02. Maps and Models

646 views · Published 4 September 2018 · 7:56 · Indexed 26 October 2026

Channel: Kevin deLaplante · 2018 · Education

"The Vocabulary of Science: First Steps to Science Literacy"

This video course was originally produced as a paid course for Udemy and my Critical Thinker Academy website.

I decided to release the whole course for free on YouTube because I believe science literacy is important for a healthy modern democracy.

If you appreciate these videos, please "like", "subscribe" and share with friends!

(Teachers, you're free to use these videos in your classes.)

My personal hub site:
https://kevindelaplante.com

My credentials as a philosophy of science instructor:
https://kevindelaplante.com/about

My Argument Ninja Dojo video tutorial and membership site:
https://kevindelaplante.com/dojo

Full Playlist (I recommend saving this link):
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCPXzKiZn7OHMBNmD14IQiA2tS2q9iVF0

Full Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE

01.01. Is Evolution a Theory, a Fact, or Both?

01.02. Overview of the Course

2. AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION

02.01. Epistemically Loaded versus Epistemically Neutral Language

3. WHAT IS A THEORY?

03.01. "It's Just a Theory": "Theory" as Down-Player

03.02. "Theories are the Pinnacles of Science": "Theory" as Up-Player

03.03. Why We Need an Epistemically Neutral Definition of "Theory"

03.04. An Epistemically Neutral Definition of "Theory": A Classical (but incomplete) Story

03.05. An Epistemically Neutral Definition of "Theory": A More Sophisticated Story

4. WHAT IS A FACT?

04.01. "You Can't Deny the Facts": An Epistemically Loaded Definition of "Fact"

04.02. "I Had the Facts Wrong": An Epistemically Neutral Definition of "Fact"

04.03. Can There Be Theoretical Facts?

5. WHAT IS A LAW?

05.01. Epistemically Loaded Definitions of "Law"

05.02. Examples of Laws in Biology and Psychology

05.03. Examples of Laws in Astronomy and Physics

05.04. Unpacking the Epistemically Neutral Concept of "Law"

05.05. But Are There Any Laws?

05.06. A Quick Word: Are Laws Explanatory?

6. WHAT IS A HYPOTHESIS?

06.01. "That's Just a Hypothesis": An Epistemically Loaded Definition of "Hypothesis"

06.02. An Epistemically Neutral Definition of "Hypothesis"

7. WHAT IS A MODEL?

07.01. Introduction: What is a Model?

07.02. Maps and Models

07.03. Models as Tools For Reasoning About the World

07.04. How Equations Can Be Models

07.05. Is There a Difference Between a Model and a Theory?

8. THEORIES, MODELS, TRUTH AND REALITY

08.01. Introduction: Theories, Models, Truth and Reality

08.02. The Challenge of Interpreting Scientific Theories

08.03. Prediction and Truth: Lessons From Ptolemy

08.04. Prediction and Truth: Lessons From the Kinetic Theory of Gases

9. TEST YOURSELF

09.01. Assignment: Critique a 7 Minute Video on the Vocabulary of Science

The "It's Okay to be Smart" video I'm discussing in this section:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqk3TKuGNBA

09.02. Part 1: The Motivation For the Video

09.03. Part 2: "Scales of Truthiness"

09.04. Part 3: The Fundamental Error

09.05. Part 4: The Problem With Defining Facts in Terms of Observations

09.06. Part 5: Problems With Defining Hypotheses as Starting Points For Inquiry

09.07. Part 6: Problems With Defining Theories as Well-Supported

09.08. Part 7: Problems With Defining Evolution as an Observable Fact

09.09 Part 8: Problems With Defining Laws in Terms of Observations

09.10 Part 9: Can Laws Explain, or Do They Just Describe? Kepler, Newton and Einstein

09.11. Part 10: Analyzing the Last Slide

09.12. Who is to Blame?

07.02. Maps and Models

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