Georgia Institute of Technology Enviromental Science Paper

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whnalrug24

Science

Georgia Institute of Technology

Description

For this assignment, I want you to identify a scientific article and analyze the various arguments presented within. Often, focusing on a scientific controversy provides a fun and interesting topic for this analysis, but you don’t have to choose an article associated with a controversy. Examples of controversies include: the cathode ray, cause for dinosaur extinction, steady-state vs big bang theory for the origin of the universe, expanding earth vs plate tectonic model, etc. What's most important here is that you analyze how the author of the text you select portrays science.

Let the following questions guide your analysis:

  1. What is the article about? Who is it intended for?
  2. How does the author portray science? Is it blackboxed and therefore only focuses on the conclusions? Why does the author need to frame science as they have?
  3. What rhetorical practices are at play throughout the article? What function do they serve?
  4. Do these rhetorical practices work? Why or why not? (Use the audience and context of the article as foundations for building your argument)

Explanation & Answer:
4 pages
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Explanation & Answer

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Article Analysis - Outline
Gradualist and catastrophic views
A. Extinction occur slowly across time
B. Extinction was a onetime event after collision of asteroids and earth
C. Aim of the paper
Conclusive nature of science based on facts
A. The gradualists perspective of extinction
B. The catastrophic view of extinction
C. Convergence of the two views based on facts
D. Biological aspects of the extinction on high levels of sulphur dioxide and its
interaction with ultraviolet radiation
E. Ultraviolet radiation, cholecalciferol association and extinction
Rhetorical analysis
A. Clarifying facts based on existing evidence
B. Emphasis on the need to research more
C. Providing direction to new interesting aspects related to dinosaur extinction


Running head: THE EXTINCTION OF DINOSAURS

Article Analysis
Name
Institution

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THE EXTINCTION OF DINOSAURS

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Article Analysis
Article Analysis: “Why did the dinosaurs become extinct? Could cholecalciferol (vitamin
D 3 ) deficiency be the answer?” by Fraser (2019).
About 66 million years ago, a mass extinction event of many animal species occurred
including the large family of dinosaurs. Geologists and paleontologists have been at a huge
loss explaining the huge loss in biological diversity. Their expertise in various techniques
ranging from dating rocks and reconstructing the characteristic of different long-gone life
forms from tooth to fossil bones remains a remarkable achievement. However, these
scientists remain divided on the current interpretations relating to the disappearance of
dinosaurs. Some argue that from a vantage point the extinction of the species seemed to have
occurred suddenly dues to some form of environmental change. Others argue that the time
frame for the extinction event seems to have been very long and followed the decline of the
species from on generation to the next until the dinosaurs finally disappeared. The conflict
between those who believe the event was either mediated by gradualism or catastrophism
remained divided even after extensive debates in the 20th century. The case for catastrophic
mass extinction of dinosaurs is strengthened by worldwide enrichment of the rare element
iridium which is predominantly been found in the same era the dinosaurs disappeared. The
source of the rare element was proposed as a huge comet or asteroid which collided with
Earth and coincides with the specific passing of the dinosaurs. The identification of the
Chicxulub impact crater, in the Gulf of Mexico, is considered as the site where the large
celestial body collided with the earth. The consequence of the impact were expected to be
catastrophic not only for the geographic site but also for the entire world, with the area still
reeling from aerosol cloud and atmospheric dust (Fraser, 2019). This article focuses on
providing information on the probable cause of the dinosaur extinction event based existing
evidences. The article explores different ways in which scientific article presents arguments
as well as the use of rhetoric questions and their effect on the emphasis and other essential
aspects in arguments. The study also traces the biological link of cholecalciferol and how it
resulted in the extinction of dinosaurs.
Fraser (2019) reveals that science is not black boxed. Rather science is founded on
facts as supported by the existing evidence documented by different sides. In the current
context, two arguments with their supporting evidence are provided for a reader to determine
which approach is true. The two arguments in the article f...


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