Scribd
Upload
19 views

Activity

The passage quotes Isaac Asimov saying "The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom." It discusses how science has advanced knowledge but society has not become adequately wise to handle that knowledge. The full quote provides context about the need for wisdom to guide scientific progress.

Uploaded by

Romina Castillo Fuentes
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
19 views

Activity

The passage quotes Isaac Asimov saying "The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom." It discusses how science has advanced knowledge but society has not become adequately wise to handle that knowledge. The full quote provides context about the need for wisdom to guide scientific progress.

Uploaded by

Romina Castillo Fuentes
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Photograph by CERN, distributed under a CC BY 4.0 licence.

“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers


knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.”
Isaac Asimov (1920 – 1992), American science fiction writer and professor of biochemistry

1. Science Discussion
1. What is science? What are the different branches of science that help us understand the natural
world? Which branch of science is most interesting to you? Why?
2. Did you study science at school? Did you enjoy it? Does it help you today? Should everyone study
science at school?
3. Why is science important? How has science helped society advance?
4. Who are some famous or important scientists that you know of? Why are they famous or
important? What did they discover?
5. What have been some of the most important scientific discoveries in history?
6. What major scientific discoveries do you think humans will make in the future? How will these
help us?
7. How important are scientists in society? Are they the most important individuals?
8. What do you think scientists do in their day-to-day jobs? Would you like to be a scientist?
2. Science Vocabulary
• the scientific method (noun) – a systematic approach to acquiring knowledge through observation,
formulation of testable hypotheses, experimentation, and refinement of theories based on empirical
evidence.
• scientific consensus (noun) – the opinion or position of the majority of scientists in a particular field
about a particular topic.
• peer review (noun) – the independent evaluation of research by similarly qualified peers to confirm
the veracity of the results of the research.
• pseudoscience (noun), pseudoscientific (adjective) – opinions and theories presented as science,
but not based on the scientific method or rejected by scientific consensus.
• to baffle (verb) – to cause extreme confusion.
• it’s not rocket science (phrase) – used to say that something is easy or easy to understand, often in
a sarcastic manner.

Using the vocabulary words above, complete the following sentences (remember to use the correct
form of the word, e.g. verb conjugation or plural noun):
1. A found errors in the experiment, the results of which could not be replicated.
2. Experts were when the latest photos from the James Webb Telescope showed
galaxies that shouldn’t exist.
3. Homeopathy is dismissed as by respectable medical professionals.
4. is important because it helps to ensure that scientific findings are objective and
free from bias.
5. There is a among experts that climate change is real and largely caused by
human activity.
6. Why can’t you cook? It’s not exactly !

Science vocabulary comprehension questions


1. What criticisms can you think of for the scientific method?
2. What examples of scientific consensus can you think of?
3. What are some problems with peer reviews?
4. Can you think of any examples of pseudoscience? Why do people believe these?
5. What baffles you the most about science?
6. When might you say (or have said) that something is not rocket science and to whom?
3. Video: The Most Important Scientific Discoveries
You are going to watch a video by WatchMojo called “Top 10 Greatest Scientific Discoveries of All Time.”

Watch the video here: https://yourenglishpal.com/blog/esl-conversation-lesson-plan-science/

While you watch the video, answer the following questions:

Multiple choice
1. When was heliocentrism first proposed?

a) 3rd century BCE b) 16th century BCE c) 16th century CE

2. Which church rejected heliocentrism?

a) Anglican b) Orthodox c) Catholic

3. When was the human genome fully sequenced?

a) 1869 b) 1990 c) 2022

4. When was the existence of the Higgs Boson confirmed?

a) 1964 b) 2012 c) 2019

Sentence completion
5. The speed of light cannot be .
6. General relativity incorporated to explain how matter and energy curve space.
7. Quantum entanglement involves action at a distance.
8. The Big Bang is believed to have occurred billion years ago.

Short answer
9. Which civilisation first proposed the theory of evolution?
10. What did Miasma theory blame for diseases?
11. What did scientists at Oxford University cure of bacterial infections using penicillin?
12. When did Edward Jenner create the first smallpox vaccine?
4. Science Conversation Questions
1. If scientific knowledge is always evolving, how can we trust science? Do you trust science? Why
or why not?
2. What is the difference between a scientific theory and a scientific fact?
3. Why do some people deny science or are suspicious of it? Why might science denial be
dangerous?
4. Which individuals, organisations or political movements have an interest in promoting science
denial? Why?
5. Are science and religious beliefs compatible? How has science influenced philosophical beliefs?
6. Could science be dangerous in any way or have a negative effect on society?
7. Why do you think fewer and fewer people are choosing to study science at university these
days? What consequence will this have in the future?
8. What would the world be like if we had no knowledge of science?

5. Science Writing Task


Write about your opinion of science. Try to use some of the vocabulary you learned earlier in this lesson.
In your answer, you could include some of the following topics:
• Why science is important.
• How science has benefitted society.
• The dangers of science denial.

Alternative exam practice question:


These days, fewer and fewer people are opting to study science at university. Why is this? What will the
consequences of this be in the future?

You might also like