For homework 2, you will answer the 5 questions below after watching the video and enter your answers in Canvas. This is a lecture by Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, who is a world famous astrophysicist and host of many TV series about science, including PBS's Nova and Fox's Cosmos.
This particular video is partly about intelligent design, but the main point is actually more about how we (humans) approach unanswered problems in science, like what led to the Big Bang or the origin of life. Neither of these are well understood, and scientists have, at best, a pile of hypotheses and weak tests. Now what? This is when science gets most interesting.
Here are your questions.
A large proportion of the general public believes in intelligent design. Few scientists do. Tyson claims that this is not the real story. What, according to Tyson, IS the real story?
Name 3 famous scientists, past or present, mentioned in the lecture who have invoked intelligent design.
How do Newton and LaPlace differ on their explanations for the orbit of the planets.
Tyson expresses concern that what happened in the Arabic world will happen in western society. What does he say happened?
Why does Tyson consider intelligent design a danger to our future economy?