Really, it’s all about models

From What Does Scientific Literacy Really Mean? by Rhett Allain. Kind of a noisy article but with a really nice synopsis.

But what does it mean to DO SCIENCE? As a human, I would expect a scientific literate person to be able to do the following:

Build a model based on experimental evidence (physical model, conceptual model, mathematical model).

Use and understand some existing models (you can’t build everything yourself).

Understand the limitations of science.

Think of an experiment to test a particular model.

Really, it’s all about models. It is not about “things.” Science literacy is not about knowing stuff about science. It’s not about knowing the difference between a planet and a dwarf planet (because really, who cares what you call Pluto—it’s still awesome). Knowing that light travels faster than sound doesn’t mean you are a scientist any more than knowing the first 100 digits of pi means you are mathematician.

I agree.

It would be nice if schools taught kids how to frame a conceptual model of what they are addressing. The very foundation for critical thinking, argumentation and the development of evidence. Unfortunately, the ability to articulate and comprehend the implications of a conceptual model appears to be in short supply.