Expectations
You can :
- Critique a popular news article or watch/listen to a news broadcast of a scientific study and assess whether it is a valid interpretation of the scientific research.
- Find as much information as you can about the source material for the science in question in order to assess:
- Whether the conclusion validly answered the research question
- Whether the study properly isolated variables
- Whether the sample size was appropriate and why/why not
- Whether the sample selection was appropriate and why/why not
- How the study fits within the larger context of the subject.
Why Earn This Badge?
News media, whether through TV, radio, blogs, or print, is constantly sharing breakthroughs in science. These stories, however, are often misleading and misrepresent the science, causing serious social and political repercussions. Watch this video excerpt from John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight to get a sense of the problem:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8YR7slQhXZYMDhrVkQxcFFlQUU/view?usp=sharingAs part of being a literate world citizen you need to be able to view these stories with a skeptical eye and understand the science behind the headlines to make educated and valid judgements about the issues at hand. This badge differs from Skeptic 1 because you demonstrate your ability to incisively critique the popular science article.
Who created this badge?
Badge Designers:
http://www.competencyx.comBadge Graphic Designer:
Joe Smiljkovich
