Understanding Science

How science REALLY works...

Understanding Science

Learn what science is, how it works, and how it connects to your life

Astronaut Mae Jemison is shown floating within the Spacelab-J module

What is science?

a man wearing protective clothing is reaching over lava flows to collect a sample

How science works

archival photo of Rosalind Franklin looking into a microscope

The core of science

an image of Jane Goodall with a chimpanzee

The social side of science

A Native American woman is pictured in front of Window Rock holding a book

Science and society

vegetables in a supermarket

What has science done for you lately?

a photo of kids on a beach crouching and looking over sand

A scientific approach to life

Science flowchart

Explore the process of scientific inquiry through our interactive Science Flowchart.

Science stories

small, ridged, cocoon-shaped fossil next to a ruler

Discovering a strange new group of ancient sea creatures

Topics:
  • Testing scientific ideas
  • The iterative process of science
Disciplines:
  • biology
  • Earth science

Format: single page

two models of atomic structure: one with atoms circling the nucleus in all directions and one where each atom occupies a distinct orbital

A science prototype: Rutherford and the atom

Topics:
  • What is and is not science
Disciplines:
  • physics

Format: multipage

Bill Berry and the construction of geologic time

Topics:
  • Testing scientific ideas
Disciplines:
  • Earth science

Format: single page

Two microscopic images of sand that show crystal-like formations.

Sand is more than meets the eye

Topics:
  • Testing scientific ideas
Disciplines:
  • Earth science

Format: single page

Fair tests in the field of medicine: Aiding Alzheimer patients

Topics:
  • Testing scientific ideas
Disciplines:
  • biology

Format: single page

The science checklist applied: CFCs and the destruction of the ozone layer

Topics:
  • What is and is not science
Disciplines:
  • chemistry
  • Earth science

Format: single page

Ozone depletion: Uncovering the hidden hazard of hairspray

Topics:
  • Benefits of science
  • Testing scientific ideas
  • The iterative process of science
Disciplines:
  • chemistry
  • Earth science

Format: multipage

sketches of trilobite fossils

Piecing together fossil puzzles in a mysterious museum cabinet

Topics:
  • Testing scientific ideas
Disciplines:
  • biology
  • Earth science

Format: single page

Two white men in suits talk near old fashioned chemistry equipment

Cold fusion: A case study for scientific behavior

Topics:
  • The social side of science
Disciplines:
  • chemistry
  • physics

Format: multipage

Life size sculptures of mastodons are posed at the Lake Pit of the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum

50,000 years of Los Angeles summers?

Topics:
  • The iterative process of science
Disciplines:
  • biology
  • Earth science

Format: single page

spider

How science works

Topics:
  • The iterative process of science
  • Thinking scientifically every day
Disciplines:
  • biology

Format: video

What is it about Los Angeles?

Topics:
  • The iterative process of science
Disciplines:
  • biology
  • Earth science

Format: single page

Beyond the prototype: Animal psychology

Topics:
  • What is and is not science
Disciplines:
  • biology
  • psychology

Format: single page

Astrology: Is it scientific?

Topics:
  • What is and is not science
Disciplines:
  • pseudoscience

Format: single page

Asian woman wearing hat and bright yellow vest holds a handful of rocks to the camera

Finding community among fossils

Topics:
  • The social side of science
Disciplines:
  • biology

Format: single page

Fair tests in the fossil record: Avoiding extinction

Topics:
  • Testing scientific ideas
Disciplines:
  • biology

Format: single page

Cartoon image of people and a robot visiting the paleontology section of a museum.

Scientific Process: The mysteries of life with Tim and Moby

Topics:
  • Testing scientific ideas
  • The iterative process of science
  • What is and is not science
Disciplines:
  • astronomy
  • biology
  • Earth science

Format: video

Bundle up your hypotheses

Topics:
  • Testing scientific ideas
Disciplines:
  • astronomy

Format: single page

Woman with dark hair looking through a microscope

The structure of DNA: Cooperation and competition

Topics:
  • Testing scientific ideas
  • The social side of science
Disciplines:
  • biology

Format: multipage

A collage that include sample cores with a map of Baja California highlighting the Guaymas Basin

Questions built on sand

Topics:
  • The iterative process of science
Disciplines:
  • Earth science

Format: single page

View all Science Stories

Top teaching resources

How Science Works interactive

How Science Works interactive

Correcting misconceptions

a cartoon depicting a man jumping out of a plane stating: I'm not deploying this parachute until scientists get more certain about this gravity stuff.
Correcting misconceptions

Infographics and teaching tools

A graphic showing a list of questions to evaluate scientific messages.
Infographics and teaching tools

Search the teaching resource database

Search the teaching resource database

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