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

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

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

From Caribbean girl to California geologist

Topics:
  • Science as a human endeavor
Disciplines:
  • Earth science

Format: single page

Intelligent Design: Is it scientific?

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

Format: single page

person wearing army fatigues inserting acupuncture needles into someone's back

A pointed question: Can science study acupuncture?

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

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

Illuminating relativity: Experimenting with the stars

Topics:
  • Testing scientific ideas
Disciplines:
  • astronomy
  • physics

Format: single page

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

Photo of researcher Emilia Huerta-Sánchez

High altitude adaptations: The work of Emilia Huerta-Sánchez

Topics:
  • Science as a human endeavor
  • Testing scientific ideas
Disciplines:
  • biology

Format: multipage

The science checklist applied: Cold fusion

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

Format: single page

Two women outside, one wearing a neon vest

Scientists, collaborators, and friends dig into the fossil record

Topics:
  • Science as a human endeavor
  • The social side of science
Disciplines:
  • biology
  • Earth science

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

Fair tests in the fossil record: Avoiding extinction

Topics:
  • Testing scientific ideas
Disciplines:
  • biology

Format: single page

swirling, colorful picture of deep space

Luminous

Topics:
  • Science as a human endeavor
  • Testing scientific ideas
  • The iterative process of science
  • The social side of science
Disciplines:
  • astronomy

Format: video

Beyond the prototype: Animal psychology

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

Format: single page

Large ship sailing near a buoy

How science works

Topics:
  • Benefits of science
  • The iterative process of science
  • The social side of science
Disciplines:
  • Earth science

Format: video

As parsimonious as the evidence allows: Different ways of seeing color

Topics:
  • Testing scientific ideas
Disciplines:
  • biology

Format: single page

Fair tests: A do-it-yourself guide

Topics:
  • Testing scientific ideas
  • Thinking scientifically every day
Disciplines:

Format: single page

Bundle up your hypotheses

Topics:
  • Testing scientific ideas
Disciplines:
  • astronomy

Format: single page

White woman in lab coat holding fossil in gloved hand

Ancient bones, modern problems: One scientist’s trash is another scientist’s data

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

Format: multipage

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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