Something is either true, or it isn't
Jim Al-Khalili starts by tackling a big question: Can we know what's really true in our confusing world? His answer is yes! Some facts exist no matter what people believe and science helps us find these truths. (p. 30-50)
Straight to the point
Al-Khalili begins by admitting that people often disagree about everything
(like: politics, values, what's right or wrong).
But he argues there's a difference between opinions (which can vary) and facts (which don't change based on what we think).
Quiz Summary
Even if people reject these facts, the facts don't change. (Someone might deny climate change because they don't want to change their lifestyle, or reject evolution because it conflicts with their religion, but that doesn't make the science less true.)
Science = Facts/evidence
Rejecting evidence =
denial
EXAMPLES
Book
Al-Khalili mentions that a ball dropped from 5 meters will hit the ground in about one second on Earth. This timing is a scientific fact that works the same whether you're in Qatar, America or anywhere else. More specifically, he says: "If i drop a ball from a height of five meters, it will fall for one second (more like 1.01s) before it hits the ground — not two seconds or half a second, but one second. This is an established, absolute truth about the world that is never going to change" ( pages 35-36 )
Personal
When I study film in my Communication classes at NUQ, I’ve learned that some cinematography techniques really do work better than others because they’re based on how people’s brains react to visuals. For example, close-up shots often make me and other viewers feel more emotionally connected to the character and certain lighting can totally change the mood of a scene. These effects aren’t just our opinions, they’re backed up by research into visual psychology, so I know why directors choose them.
Key Characteristics
Falsifiability
Science can be proven wrong if new evidence appears (that's good, it keeps science honest!)
Objectivity
Scientific facts don't care about your feelings, politics, or personal beliefs
Testability
Scientific ideas must be checkable through experiments or observations
Self-correction
When scientists find mistakes, they fix them and update their understanding
Bottom line
Chapter 1 teaches us:
Don't let anyone convince you that "everything is just opinion." Some things are genuinely true or false and science helps us figure out which is which. Even when the world feels chaotic and everyone's arguing about everything!