Problem 1
Good questions often produce answers that lead to yet more questions. Review the following statement and suggest some related questions that could clarify or expand the topic.
Problem 3
Three of the big ideas listed near the start of this section detail the interaction of humans and the earth system: (1) Humans depend on Earth for resources; (2) natural hazards pose risks to humans; and (3) humans significantly alter Earth. Take a few minutes and write what you can in support of each of these statements. Consider revising your responses as you progress through the semester to see if you can add more items and/or more information.
Problem 4
Go to the US Geological Survey site (www.usgs.gov) and find an example of an earth science topic that USGS scientists have investigated. 1\. Briefly describe the research, using no more than six sentences. 2\. Identify: \- The types of questions the scientists investigated. \- The types of tools the scientists used. \- An example of the data they collected.
Problem 5
Scientists suggested the dinosaurs became extinct when an asteroid collided with Earth. They noted that the rare element iridium was present in 65-million-year-old rock layers around the world. The text in italic is an example of: a) A hypothesis b) A prediction c) An observation d) A theory
Problem 8
Employees at the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, declare that female visitors who come in contact with a pair of African fertility statues are more likely to become pregnant some time later. The statues, from the Boule tribe of the Ivory Coast, stand near the museum's entrance. Some visitors have volunteered the information that they gave birth 9 months after touching the statues and credit the statues. The museum notes that some couples travel from as far away as Texas to rub the statues. a) What hypothesis is presented in this story? b) Is the hypothesis supported by sufficient observations? Explain. c) What prediction could be made to verify or falsify the hypothesis? a) What hypothesis b) Is the hypothesi observations? Exp c) What prediction the hypothesis?
Problem 12
Read the following quote. Discuss why you agree or disagree with the statement. This is the first generation in the history of the world that finds that what people do to their natural environment may be more important than what the natural environment does to and for them.
