Fundamentals of Scientific Inquiry

We have discussed science throughout history this term, paying particular attention to the paradigm shifts that occurred as scientists reorganized their data to fit with a model that had greater explanatory power. Research a paradigm shift within a particular field of science that we have not covered in class.

Choose a particular scientific field (medicine, geology, biology, microbiology, genetics, physics, anatomy, ecology, astronomy, neuroscience, engineering, etc.)

Choose a time in which this field was undergoing a great change in thinking or methodology. Argue for whether or not this time in history was a true paradigm shift, given what you know of Thomas Kuhn's definition.

In order to do this, you should examine the differences and similarities between the previous era in this scientific field and the one that came after, with reference to the models and methods used and discoveries made.