TOK + Science = Epic
The way we gather information and come to a conclusion is through a process, and that process is where Theory of Knowledge comes in. The way we were previously taught about science was by being told what the answer was, and we never really questioned that. We have to start trying to find out about where this information comes from. In Theory of Knowledge, we learnt about a process of how we come to a conclusion, and the different directions we can take to do so. In example, we begin with a hypothesis and try to predict a solution. We then continue with proposing and creating a method, to plan how we can gather information. This i then done practically with experimentation to test our hypothesis, and then come to a consensus. This links directly to the way we approach science in IB, and the way we test theories and ideas. Our experiments and tests need a process to find an answer, and we rely much less on what we are told.
Moving forward, it’s important to think about how these conclusions are gathered and how we perceive information. We have to look at the history of a topic, and see how those ideas differed to what we understand in the modern era. This all is necessary so we can question what we are told and decipher from experiments/tests. Theory of Knowledge has showed us how to test our thinking and knowledge to better understand our ideas, and this links directly back to scientific research and what we conclude. Information about topics in Chemistry such as the structure of an atom has had many theories and concepts over the years, and these ideas build/counter each other to create even more informed conclusions. This is one of the most important skills we need to be able to apply.
I like the way you’ve identified the issues with forming conclusions in Science and with interpreting data. People often perceive Science as being “true knowledge” but with our models constantly changing this isn’t really a fair reflection. How true do you feel like your current model of the atom is?