Concept groupings

The concepts of the SSS curriculum can be broadly grouped into six main categories.

Philosophical Underpinnings

What makes science an effective way of learning about the world?

We begin the course by exploring how the ideals and practices of science allow us to approach increasingly accurate and complete representations of our shared material reality. The scientific community does this through empirical investigation of the world, sharing observations and ideas with each other, and continued openness to revision as new evidence emerges. Science offers particularly powerful tools for investigating causal relationships, helping us decide on courses of action that accomplish our goals.

Relevant Lessons

1.1 Introduction and When Is Science Relevant

1.2 Shared Reality and Modeling

2.1 Senses and Instrumentation

6.1 Correlation and Causation

6.2 Hill's Criteria

7.1 Causation, Blame, and Policy

7.2 Emergent Phenomena

Probabilistic Thinking

How can we make informed decisions using noisy and uncertain data?

There are many sources of uncertainty, both in the accuracy and precision of data and in the inferences drawn from data. Scientists have developed strategies for tracking, reducing, and coping with this uncertainty, enabling us to make clearer judgments and more effective decisions even when we cannot know for sure what the outcomes will be.

Relevant Lessons

2.2 Systematic and Statistical Uncertainty

3.1 Probabilistic Reasoning

3.2 Calibration of Credence Levels

4.1 Signal and Noise

4.2 Finding Patterns in Random Noise

5.1 False Positives and Negatives

Science's Can-do Aspect

How can we gain insights despite immense unknowns and conceptual and practical obstacles?

Science is balanced by, on the one hand, awareness that we might at any point be mistaken, and on the other hand, optimism that if we continue iteratively investigating, we will eventually gain understanding. This can-do spirit is bolstered by strategies that help us use what we know to handle what we don't know.

Relevant Lessons

5.2 Scientific Optimism

8.1 Orders of Understanding

8.2 Fermi Problems

12.2 Grill the Guest

Human Cognition

What are cognitive traps that cause people to fool themselves?

Humans are prone to errors that arise from overapplied heuristics, cognitive biases, and limited processing power. Being mindful of these vulnerabilities can help us to moderate our own judgments, using cognitive and social strategies to reduce mistakes and biases.

Relevant Lessons

7.1 Causation, Blame, and Policy

9.1 Heuristics

9.2 Biases

10.1 Confirmation Bias

10.2 Blinding

Group Decision Making

How can groups make better decisions together?

Group decision-making can be challenging when people disagree. However, distinguishing between facts and values, accounting for values from a variety of stakeholders, and incorporating expert judgments of fact can produce decisions based on more accurate and complete information, greater community buy-in, and more widely desirable outcomes.

Relevant Lessons

1.1 Introduction and When Is Science Relevant

12.1 Wisdom of Crowds and Herd Thinking

13.1 Denver Bullet Study

13.2 Deliberative Polling

14.1 Scenario Planning

14.2 Wrap Up

When Science is Suspect

How can science be misused and what do we do about it?

People sometimes misuse or misapply science, cherry-picking or misinterpreting evidence to support pet theories or justify inequities. The trappings of scientific language can be used to make evidence appear stronger than it is. Knowing the most common ways in which scientific approaches can be misused, intentionally or unintentionally, helps us avoid these traps.

Relevant Lessons

1.1 Introduction and When Is Science Relevant

10.1 Confirmation Bias

10.2 Blinding

11.1 Pathological Science

11.2 When Is Science Suspect

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