Science Matters

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Scientific Literacy: What It Is, Why It’s Important, and Why We Don’t Have It ONE. Knowing The universe is regular and predictable. TWO. Energy Energy is conserved and always goes from more useful to less useful forms. THREE. Electricity and Magnetism Electricity and magnetism are two aspects of the same force. FOUR. The Atom All matter is made of atoms. FIVE. The World of the Quantum Everything comes in discrete units and you can’t measure anything without changing it. SIX. Chemical Bonding Atoms are bound by electron glue. SEVEN. Atomic Architecture The way a material behaves depends on how its atoms are arranged. EIGHT. Nuclear Physics Nuclear energy comes from the conversion of mass. NINE. The Fundamental Structure of Matter All matter is really made of quarks and leptons. TEN. Astronomy Stars experience a cycle of birth and death. ELEVEN. The Cosmos The universe was born at a specific time in the past, and it has been expanding ever since. TWELVE. Relativity Every observer sees the same laws of nature. THIRTEEN. The Restless Earth Earth’s surface is constantly changing, and no feature on Earth is permanent. FOURTEEN. Earth Cycles Earth operates in cycles. FIFTEEN. The Ladder of Life All living things are made from cells, the chemical factories of life. SIXTEEN. The Code of Life All life is based on the same genetic code. SEVENTEEN. Biotechnology All life is based on the same chemistry and genetic code. EIGHTEEN. Evolution All forms of life evolved by natural selection. NINETEEN. Ecosystems All life is connected. Epilogue The Role of Science Index