The Great Debate: Sciences vs. Humanities

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Option 1: The Great Debate: Sciences vs. Humanities

There has always been a great debate between the sciences and the humanities. This debate has recently been renewed by psychologist Steven Pinker and Leon Wieseltier, the literary editor of The New Republic.

At the heart of the debate is how the sciences and humanities relate to one another; are they separate disciplines or interconnected?

In this discussion, view the following video of Wieseltier’s ideas on how the sciences and humanities relate to one another. Then read the summary article of the great debate between Wieseltier and Pinker.

  • Video: Leon Wieseltier on the Value of the Humanities (3:27) (Captioned Version)
  • Article: When Two Tribes Go to War: Science vs. the Humanities

Religion Old Testament Prophecies And New Testament Fulfillment

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Discussion Board 2/Project 4 Instructions

 

When performing a hypothesis test, you must make an assumption in order to perform it. Assume that the hypothesis you are testing (the null hypothesis) is true. This assumption allows you to calculate the probability of the test results. You then use that probability to decide whether or not to accept the hypothesis and the claim associated with it. The more likely the results, the more readily you accept the hypothesis.

 

This kind of analysis can be used to evaluate any idea for which there are enough facts or data. For example, what about the premise that Jesus is the Son of God? Josh McDowell takes a similar approach to answering this question in his book, Evidence That Demands a Verdict(Campus Crusade for Christ, 1972).

 

In his book, McDowell collects a variety of information that attests to the Bible’s validity and Jesus’ claims to being the Son of God. He includes the interesting results of a large volume of research. In the section about messianic prophecy, he quotes the probabilistic analysis of Peter Stoner in Science Speaks (Moody Press, 1963).

 

Stoner used the assumption that Jesus was just a man and not the Son of God to perform a probability analysis and hypothesis test on some messianic prophecies. In this case the hypothesis was that Jesus was not the foretold Messiah or the Son of God. He then examined the probability of a selection of prophecies coming true if Jesus was in fact not divine.

 

Using a selection of 8 prophecies, Stoner estimated that the probability of all 8 prophecies being fulfilled is 1 in 1017. Using the language of hypothesis tests, this means that you would reject the hypothesis that Jesus is not the Messiah for any α > 10-17. To put it another way, α > 0.00000000000000001. The smallest α that is normally used for a hypothesis test is α = 0.01. This means that you can safely reject the hypothesis that Jesus is not the Messiah or the Son of God.

 

For more on this, I recommend Josh McDowell’s book Evidence That Demands a Verdict. Peter Stoner’s work can be found in Science Speaks, published by Moody press. Stoner’s book has recently been rereleased in e-book format. You can find it in module/week 4 Additional Materials folder. McDowell’s book, Evidence That Demands a Verdict is still in print.

 

The references for the 8 Old Testament prophecies that Peter Stoner analyzed are listed below along with the verse references for their fulfillment. It is likely that most students in this course believe that Jesus Christ is divine, so listing probabilities of Him doing certain things is irrelevant. However, what Stone is doing is playing the devil’s advocate. He’s saying to the skeptical, “Okay, let’s have it your way for a second. If Jesus of Nazareth was just an ordinary man, what is the probability that he could fulfill all the prophecies by chance?”

Old Testament Prophecies                            New Testament Fulfillment

Micah 5:2                                                        Matthew 2:4-6

Malachi 3:1                                                     Mark 1:2-8

Zechariah 9:9                                                  Matthew 21:4-11

Psalms 41:9                                                     Luke 22:21

Zechariah 11:12                                              Matthew 26:15

Zechariah 11:13                                              Matthew 27:3-10

Isaiah 53:7                                                       Mark 14: 60-61

Psalms 22:16                                                   John 19:17-18

 

In Discussion Board Forum 2, post a thread that includes the following:

1.      Type out each Old Testament prophecy with the verse reference followed by the New Testament verse with the fulfillment.  (9 points)

2.      Which one of the 8 prophecies and its fulfillment spoke to you the most? Write at least 150 words about this verse and your thoughts about it.  (9 points)

3.      These prophecies and their fulfillment are definitely evidence that Jesus is the Messiah. People have different opinions about whether or not they are absolute proof of this. Do you think these verses prove that Jesus is the Messiah? Write at least 250 words about your opinion on this. Be sure to explain the reasons behind your thinking. Whether you believe that Jesus is the Messiah or not, please give your honest opinion. Any honest thoughtful opinion will receive full credit.  (12 points)

4.      Submit 2 replies to classmates of at least 50 words each.  (6 points)

 

This Discussion Board Forum will be utilizing the Post-First feature. Once you have submitted your thread, you will then be able to read and interact with your classmates’ threads.

 

Submit your answers to these questions by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Saturday of Module/Week 14. Submit your 2 replies of at least 50 words each by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of the same module/week.

 

Feel free to consult with your instructor for help with this project. However, you must turn in your own work. Do not do this jointly with another student.

Compare and contrast DNA and RNA.

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W4 Assignment “DNA and RNA”

Introduction to Life Science

DNA and RNA

Compare and contrast DNA and RNA. Discuss why humans did not evolve with one central repository of DNA, but rather it is replicated throughout the body?

Your assignment should be 250-500 words in length.

Grading Criteria Assignments Maximum Points
Meets or exceeds established assignment criteria 40
Demonstrates an understanding of lesson concepts 20
Clearly present well-reasoned ideas and concepts 30
Mechanics, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling that affects clarity, and citation of sources as needed 10
Total 100

Pathogens

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Unit outcomes addressed in this activity:  Describe the characteristics of a prokaryotic genome.  Explain the principle of genetic engineering and their applications.  Select appropriate methods to study microorganisms.  Analyze the role of microbes in human disease and public health. Course outcome practiced with this Assignment: HS320-4: Discuss principles of microbial genetics in health science. Instructions  Prepare an outline  The outline must contain the following: 1. Title of the paper 2. Reason why you chose this pathogen 3. Three (3) main ideas/points that will be discussed (you must include importance of plasmids in bacterial genetics and in genetic engineering) Requirements   The viewpoint and purpose of this Assignment should be clearly established and sustained.  Assignment should follow the conventions of Standard American English (correct grammar, punctuation, etc.).  Your writing should be well ordered, logical and unified, as well as original and insightful.  Your work should display superior content, organization, style, and mechanics.

Using the topic from the above outline:

Unit outcomes addressed in this Assignment:  Describe the characteristics of a prokaryotic genome  Describe the roles of various microorganisms in our world  Select appropriate methods to study microorganisms  Analyze the role of microbes in human disease and public health Course outcome practiced in this Assignment:  HS320-4: Discuss principles of microbial genetics in health science. Instructions  Prepare an annotated bibliography  o Annotations should include a summary and evaluation of the each source.  You are expected to use at least five (5) resources, including the course textbook.  All Internet sources must be original articles or government resources.  Wikipedia or other non-peer reviewed resources are not acceptable. Requirements  The annotated bibliography you submit must be your own work.  Use APA style for all citations.

 

Unit outcomes addressed in this assignment: ● Discuss standard methods used in the field of microbiology ● Explain the importance of plasmids in bacterial genetics and in genetic engineering ● Explain Human/microbe relationships ● Analyze virulence factors of pathogens including public health importance Course outcomes assessed with this assignment: HS320-4: Discuss the principles of microbial genetics in health science. GEL 1.1: Demonstrate college-level communication through the composition of original materials in Standard American English. Instructions ● Write an essay that analyzes “The role of any chosen pathogen in human health and disease and public health” ● Using the knowledge you have gained throughout this course, your final paper must include the following: ● Appropriate microscopic, cultivation and non-cultivation methods for the chosen pathogen ● Importance of plasmids in bacterial genetics and in genetic engineering ● Human / microbe relationships ● Analysis of the virulence factors of microorganisms (include public health importance) ● Prevention and treatments strategies Requirements ● Essay should be a minimum of 1000 words. ● The paper you submit must be your own work. ● The viewpoint and purpose of this Assignment should be clearly established and sustained. ● Assignment should follow the conventions of Standard American English (correct grammar, punctuation, etc.). ● Your writing should be well ordered, logical, and unified, as well as original and insightful. ● Your work should display superior content, organization, style, and mechanics. ● Follow APA style format, including Times New Roman 12 point font and double spacing. ● Include a minimum of five references, one of which should be your textbook. All internet sources must be original articles or government resources. Wikipedia or other non-peer reviewed resources are not acceptable. ● Include a title page and reference page. ● Use APA style for all citations.