Question 1

According to Karl Popper what distinguishes science from pseudo-science?&#10;A) Science resists attempts at falsification&#10;B) Science can be undertaken in a laboratory setting&#10;C) Science aims to falsify its own theories&#10;D) Science is undertaken by doctors

Accepted Answer

Karl Popper argued that what distinguishes science from pseudo-science is the scientific method's emphasis on falsifiability, meaning that scientific theories should be structured in a way that they can be tested and potentially proven false.

Question 2

The term technological determinism is the notion that:&#10;A) Technologies have a causal effect.&#10;B) Humans shape technologies&#10;C) Humans have agency in how the engage with technologies&#10;D) Humans will only be able to advance to a certain extent using technology

Accepted Answer

Technological determinism is the theory that technology is the principal factor driving societal change and has a causal effect on society.

Question 3

Langdon Winner's research on bridges revealed that technologies:&#10;A) Were value-free&#10;B) Could be used to integrate individuals into society&#10;C) Could be influenced by socio-economic factors&#10;D) Are not associated with politics

Accepted Answer

Langdon Winner's research demonstrated that technologies could be influenced by socio-economic factors, as seen in his analysis of how certain bridge designs in New York were intended to limit access for certain socio-economic groups.

Question 4

Which viewpoint argues that categories of difference such as race and gender are not biologically innate?&#10;A) Social categorization&#10;B) Biological essentialism&#10;C) Social differentiation&#10;D) Constructivist

Accepted Answer

The constructivist viewpoint argues that categories like race and gender are socially constructed rather than biologically innate.

Question 5

Safiya Noble's research on Google's search engines found that Google's algorithms:&#10;A) Reproduced dominant cultural narratives&#10;B) Resisted dominant cultural narratives&#10;C) Created novel cultural narratives&#10;D) Returned search results based on the user's ethnicity

Accepted Answer

Safiya Noble's research highlighted how Google's algorithms often reproduce and reinforce existing dominant cultural narratives, rather than resisting or creating new ones.

Question 6

The term program or script describes:&#10;A) The methods used for assembling technologies&#10;B) The lifecycle of technologies&#10;C) How technologies are inscribed with expectations about their use&#10;D) How people can use technologies in a number of different ways

Accepted Answer

A program or script refers to the way technologies are designed with specific expectations and intended uses, guiding how they should be used.

Question 7

Which term describes the distinct set of concepts, methods, standards, and theories which make up a specific scientific field:&#10;A) Scientific paradigms&#10;B) Scientific scripts&#10;C) Scientific standards&#10;D) Scientific concepts

Accepted Answer

Scientific paradigms refer to the framework of theories, methods, and standards that define a scientific field.

Question 8

Biosociality describes:&#10;A) Sociality formed though biological knowledge&#10;B) Sociality formed through familiar bonds&#10;C) Sociality formed through physical proximity&#10;D) Sociality formed between biologists

Accepted Answer

Biosociality refers to social relationships and identities that are formed based on shared biological knowledge or conditions, such as genetic information or medical diagnoses.

Question 9

Which term describes the process of transforming scientific knowledge into a directly useable figure or visual representation?&#10;A) The process of inscription&#10;B) The process of visual illustration&#10;C) Visual aids&#10;D) The process of transformation

Accepted Answer

The process of inscription refers to the transformation of scientific knowledge into a directly useable figure or visual representation.

Question 10

Ruha Benjamin's research on a beauty contest judged by artificial intelligence revealed that:&#10;A) The AI had its own preferences&#10;B) The AI was influenced by its designer's preferences&#10;C) The AI produced an unbiased selection of human faces&#10;D) Beauty was universal

Accepted Answer

Ruha Benjamin's research indicated that the AI was influenced by its designer's preferences, highlighting biases in AI systems based on the data and algorithms created by humans.

Deck 22: Science and Technology