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Investing Test
Quiz by AMANDA STOKLOSA
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âA federal program that provides monthly benefits to millions of Americans, including retirees, military families, surviving families of deceased workers, and disabled individuals, is called
IRA
401K
Retirement Plan
Pension Plan
Social Security
âWhat types of income can you use in retirement to support yourself?Â
A federal program that provides monthly benefits to millions of Americans, including retirees, military families, surviving families of deceased workers, and disabled individuals, is called
What types of income can you use in retirement to support yourself?Â
A market in which prices are falling, and shareholders are wanting to sell.
What is diversification?
Which statement is true when comparing Savings to Investing?
Which one involves assets like stocks and bonds?
Which one involves very little risk?
Which one will cause your account balance will be impacted by the market?
Which statement is true when comparing investors to traders?Â
What is a stock?
All of the following are true about bonds EXCEPTâŚ
You've decided you want to sell a bond before its maturity date. Interest rates are currently higher than when you bought the bond. What will you likely have to do to make your bond more appealing to investors?
Company A is raising $250,000 by issuing 2,000 shares of stock. What is the value of each share?
Why will you need slightly more income in each year of your retirement?
Which of the following should you do when taking your rate of return into account?
All are true about Bond Funds except which one?
A BULL market is when the stock market is rising and the economy is booming, while a BEAR market describes a declining market and a receding economy
Which adjective would best describe a BEARish investor attitude?
Which of the statements below BEST describes the relationship between risk and return when considering an investment?
You bought 10 shares of stock in StreamingVideoCo for $45 per share. Two months later you sold the 10 shares of stock for $80 per share. What was your profit or loss on StreamingVideoCo stock?
Which of the following statements is TRUE about compound interest?
How does investing in the stock market differ from putting money in a savings account at a bank?
Investing Test 7thCreate me a multiple choice test questions with 4 options on the following topic:Consumer Education for Different Audience 1. Children and Youth: - Focus: Building foundational knowledge about basic consumer concepts, making safe choices, understanding money and value, and recognizing scams and unsafe situations. 2. Teens and Young Adults: - Focus: Building financial literacy, responsible debt management, understanding contracts and agreements, responsible technology use, online safety, and consumer rights. 3. Working Adults and Families: - Focus: Managing budgets, making informed purchasing decisions, understanding credit and debt, finding consumer protection resources, and navigating complex financial products (mortgages, insurance, investments). 4. Seniors: - Focus: Protecting themselves from scams and fraud, understanding common consumer issues like telemarketing, identity theft, and online scams, managing medications and healthcare costs, and accessing community resources. 5. Special Populations: - Focus: Adapting consumer education programs to the specific needs of people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, and other marginalized communities. 6. Business and Industry:- Focus: Understanding ethical marketing practices, complying with consumer protection laws, and providing clear and accurate information to consumers. 7. Policymakers and Regulators: - Focus: Understanding consumer needs, developing effective consumer protection laws, enforcing regulations, and ensuring a fair and competitive marketplace. Adapting consumer education programs for children, teens, and seniors requires tailoring content and delivery methods to their unique needs and learning styles. Children (Ages 5-12): - Understanding the concept of money: Teaching children about saving, spending, and the value of money. - Developing basic budgeting skills: Helping children learn to make choices about how to spend their allowance or pocket money. EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES â˘Focus on basic concepts: Introduce core concepts like saving, spending, and budgeting in a fun and engaging way. Use simple language and relatable examples. â˘Real-life scenarios: Use age-appropriate scenarios to illustrate financial concepts, like buying toys or snacks. â˘Parental involvement: Encourage parent participation and provide resources to help them reinforce lessons at home. Teens (Ages 13-18): - Building budgeting and financial planning skills: Teaching teens how to manage their money, set financial goals, and plan for the future. - Navigating the digital marketplace: Equipping teens with the knowledge and skills to make safe and informed online purchases, understand digital marketing, and protect themselves from scams. EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES ⢠Practical skills: Focus on skills relevant to teens, like managing money for social activities, saving for college, and understanding credit cards. ⢠Digital literacy: Address the growing influence of online shopping, social media advertising, and financial scams. ⢠Real-world applications: Connect financial concepts to real-life decisions teens make, like choosing a part-time job or making purchases online. Seniors (Ages 65+) - Managing retirement savings and healthcare costs: Providing information and resources on retirement planning, Medicare and Medicaid, and other healthcare options. - Navigating the digital world: Offering technology training and resources to help seniors access online services and information safely and securely. EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES ⢠Addressing specific concerns: Focus on topics relevant to senior citizens, like retirement planning, managing healthcare expenses, and avoiding scams. ⢠Clear and concise communication: Use simple language and visual aids to ensure easy understanding. ⢠Social interaction: Create opportunities for seniors to share experiences and learn from each other. Teaching Financial Literacy in school and Communities In Schools: Curriculum Integration: Financial literacy concepts can be seamlessly integrated into existing subjects, making learning more relevant and engaging. - Math: Budgeting exercises, calculating interest rates, analyzing financial data, and understanding compound interest are all natural applications of math skills. - Social Studies: Exploring the history of money, financial institutions, economic systems, and the impact of financial decisions on society provide valuable context. - Economics: Discussions about supply and demand, inflation, investment, and the role of consumers in the economy enhance financial literacy. Dedicated Courses: Offering elective courses or workshops specifically focused on personal finance provides deeper dives into crucial topics. - Personal Finance: Cover budgeting, saving, investing, credit, debt management, and insurance. - Entrepreneurship: Introduce concepts like business planning, marketing, financial forecasting, and managing cash flow. In Communities: Community Centers and Libraries: Workshops, seminars, and classes tailored to adults and families provide accessible learning opportunities. - Financial Planning: Cover budgeting, retirement planning, debt management, and estate planning. - Homeownership: Provide guidance on buying, selling, and maintaining a home. - Consumer Protection: Educate individuals about their rights and how to avoid scams. Partnerships with Financial Institutions: Collaborations with banks, credit unions, and financial advisors offer valuable resources, workshops, and financial literacy programs. Consumer Education for Low-Income and Vulnerable Populations Low-income refers to individuals or households with limited financial resources, typically below a certain threshold. Low-income individuals may face challenges like: 1. Limited education and job opportunities 2. Poor living conditions and housing 3. Food insecurity and malnutrition Causes of low income: 1. Unemployment or underemployment 2. Low-paying jobs or minimum wage 3. Limited education or skills 4. Single parenthood or large family size Vulnerable population'' is a term that is used to describe a group of people who possess some sort of disadvantage. elderly people, people with low incomes, homeless people, people in prison, migrant workers, pregnant women, Family Consumer Education: Managing Household Finances and Resources Financial literacy is the ability to understand and manage personal finances effectively. 1. Debt Debt is money you spend that isnât yours. If you borrow money from the bank, use a credit card, or take out a short-term loan, or a payday loan, you are accumulating debt. Good debt is considered money borrowed for things that are absolutely necessary for making a life e.g. a house and for advancing your money-making potential e.g. an education. Bad debt is considered borrowing money or using a credit card to pay for things you donât need, such as expensive clothes, hi-tech electronics, eating out at restaurants, going on holidays, etc. 2. Saving Saving is an essential part of financial wellness, a secure present, and a happy future. 3. Budgeting Budgeting is the life skill of planning and managing your money. By understanding exactly where your money goes every month, you are empowered to create an actionable plan by which you can spend less, by curtailing those unnecessary expenses and saving more for the things you need and want. 4. Investing Investing is all about creating and growing the wealth you need to enjoy a financially secure and happy future. Itâs about putting your money into something that will make you a profit over time, such as property, retirement funds, and unit trusts Integrating Consumer Education into the Home Economics Curriculum. Integrating consumer education into the home economics curriculum can provide students with essential skills for making informed choices about their personal finances, food, clothing, and overall well-being. Here are some strategies and ideas for effectively incorporating consumer education: Financial Literacy Budgeting: Teach students how to create and manage a personal budget, including setting financial goals, tracking expenses, and understanding savings. Saving and Investment: Cover the basics of saving, including different saving accounts, and introduce concepts related to investing. Food and Nutrition Food Label Literacy: Engage students in learning how to read and interpret food labels, including nutrition facts and ingredient lists. Grocery Shopping Skills: Teach students how to compare product costs, understand unit pricing, and make healthy, budget-friendly choices while shopping. Clothing and Textile Education Consumer Choices in Clothing:Discuss factors influencing clothing purchases, such as quality, price, and sustainability. Fashion and Trends: Analyze the impact of marketing and advertising on consumer behavior regarding clothing. Sustainable Purchasing Eco-Friendly Choices: Raise awareness about environmentally friendly products and the importance of sustainability in consumer choices. Project-Based Learning - Assign real-life projects where students must apply their knowledge, such as creating a meal plan within a budget, planning a shopping list based on nutrient needs, or evaluating the cost-effectiveness of different products. Technology Integration - Use technology to teach students about online shopping, price comparison websites, and apps that aid budgeting and financial planning. Collaborative Learning Opportunities - Organize team projects where students work together to solve consumer-related problems, emphasizing teamwork and communication skills. Assessment and Reflection - Incorporate assessments that allow students to reflect on what they have learned about consumer education and how they can apply these skills in their daily lives. Kindly create a 30 items multiple choice test from this laboratory activity entitled laboratory do's and donts: LABORATORY SAFETY Dos: Wear Appropriate Attire: Wear lab coats, safety goggles, gloves, and any other required personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times in the lab. Follow Protocols: Adhere strictly to established protocols and procedures for all experiments and tasks. Label Everything: Clearly label all containers, tubes, vials, and equipment with relevant information, including date, contents, and your initials. Calibrate Instruments: Regularly calibrate and maintain all lab equipment according to manufacturer guidelines to ensure accurate measurements. Keep Workspace Organized: Maintain a clean and organized workspace to prevent contamination and ensure efficient work. Dispose of Waste Properly: Follow the correct disposal procedures for hazardous waste, sharps, and non-hazardous materials in accordance with local regulations. Use Pipette Aids: Always use pipette aids or bulb fillers to avoid mouth pipetting and potential exposure to hazardous substances. Record Observations: Keep detailed and accurate records of your experiments, observations, procedures, and results. Label Samples Clearly: Label all samples with accurate and descriptive information to avoid mix-ups and confusion. Communicate: Maintain clear communication with colleagues and supervisors about your work, findings, and any potential issues. Follow Safety Guidelines: Adhere to all safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and evacuation plans in case of accidents or incidents. Report Accidents and Incidents: Report any accidents, spills, or incidents to your supervisor immediately, no matter how minor they may seem. Don'ts: Don't Eat, Drink, or Smoke: Never consume food, drinks, or smoke inside the laboratory to prevent contamination and chemical exposure. Don't Pipette by Mouth: Avoid mouth pipetting to prevent the risk of inhaling or ingesting hazardous substances. Don't Use Chipped Glassware: Do not use chipped, cracked, or compromised glassware, as they can lead to leaks and contamination. Don't Work Alone: Avoid working in the lab alone, especially with hazardous materials or equipment. Don't Ignore Safety Procedures: Never disregard safety procedures or skip steps, even if you're experienced with a particular task. Don't Contaminate Reagents: Avoid contaminating reagents by using clean tools, pipettes, and containers. Don't Rush: Take your time and follow protocols accurately. Rushing can lead to mistakes and unsafe conditions. Don't Block Emergency Equipment: Keep emergency equipment, such as eyewash stations, fire extinguishers, and safety showers, unobstructed and easily accessible. Don't Pour Chemicals into Sinks: Do not pour chemicals down sinks unless you are certain they are safe to do so, as this can lead to environmental contamination. Don't Use Unlabeled Chemicals: Never use unlabeled or improperly labeled chemicals. Always know what you're working with. Don't Wear Loose Clothing or Jewelry: Avoid wearing loose clothing, open-toed shoes, and excessive jewelry that could get caught in equipment or chemicals. Don't Assume, Ask: If you're unsure about something, never assume. Always ask for guidance from your supervisor or colleagueAnalizziamo il testo fornito, focalizzandoci sui seguenti punti: 1. **Contesto storico e allargamento del suffragio:** Il testo descrive l'espansione della societĂ e l'ingresso di un numero crescente di cittadini nella vita politica alla fine del XIX secolo. Sebbene si tenda a pensare a questa epoca come un periodo di democratizzazione, il testo sottolinea come il diritto di voto, pur essendo un'obbligazione per i cittadini "maturi" (istruiti, arruolati), non fosse universalmente riconosciuto. Viene evidenziato come il suffragio universale maschile fosse una realtĂ solo in pochi paesi (Francia, Germania, Svizzera) nel 1890, e come si sia esteso gradualmente ad altri paesi europei nei decenni successivi, spesso eliminando la divisione per censo che escludeva le masse povere. Il testo sottolinea che l'allargamento del suffragio è stato un processo lungo e complesso, con resistenze da parte delle classi dominanti. 2. **Nascita dei partiti di massa e del sindacalismo:** L'estensione del diritto di voto ha portato alla necessitĂ di nuove forme di organizzazione politica. Nacquero cosĂŹ i partiti di massa, con il Partito Socialdemocratico tedesco come esempio pionieristico. Parallelamente, si assiste a una crescita esponenziale delle organizzazioni sindacali, grazie alla maggiore coscienza dei lavoratori. Vengono citate le principali confederazioni sindacali europee, come le *Three Unions* inglesi, la Commissione Centrale dei Liberi Sindacati Tedeschi, la CGT francese e la CGIL italiana. Il testo evidenzia come il sindacalismo sia diventato una forza significativa nella lotta per i diritti dei lavoratori. 3. **La questione femminile:** Il testo affronta anche la questione femminile, sottolineando come, nonostante i primi movimenti di emancipazione risalenti alla Rivoluzione Francese e alla Rivoluzione Industriale inglese, le donne fossero ancora escluse dalla vita politica e da molte professioni. Viene menzionato il diritto di voto concesso in alcuni stati minori come la Finlandia e la Norvegia, ma si evidenzia come il lavoro femminile fosse spesso una necessitĂ piĂš che un'emancipazione, con salari inferiori a quelli degli uomini. Il testo descrive come, con l'aumento dell'istruzione e della politicizzazione, anche le donne abbiano iniziato a rivendicare i propri diritti, partecipando alle lotte sindacali. Viene citato il movimento delle suffragette britanniche guidato da Evelyn Pankhurst, che attraverso azioni di protesta riuscĂŹ a portare l'attenzione dell'opinione pubblica sulla questione del suffragio femminile, ottenendo una prima vittoria nel 1918. Il testo spiega anche come parte del movimento socialista non vedesse di buon occhio il voto femminile, temendo un orientamento politico piĂš centrista o cattolico delle donne. In generale, il testo sottolinea come i risultati ottenuti dalle donne nella lotta per i loro diritti fossero ancora limitati all'inizio del XX secolo. 4. **Riforme sociali e fiscali:** Il testo descrive come le lotte sindacali abbiano portato a importanti riforme sociali, come assicurazioni contro gli infortuni, pensioni di vecchiaia, sussidi di disoccupazione, controlli sulla sicurezza e l'igiene nelle fabbriche, limitazione del lavoro minorile, riduzione dell'orario di lavoro e diritto al riposo settimanale. Viene evidenziato come queste riforme siano state il risultato della pressione dei sindacati sui governi centrali. Parallelamente, le amministrazioni locali hanno iniziato a investire in servizi pubblici come gas, acqua corrente e trasporti, e in infrastrutture come scuole, biblioteche, musei, ospedali e alloggi popolari. L'aumento della spesa pubblica ha reso necessaria una riforma fiscale, con l'introduzione di tasse dirette e progressive, considerate piĂš eque rispetto alle tasse indirette. Il testo sottolinea come questa riforma fiscale abbia eroso ulteriormente il potere delle antiche forze sociali come la nobiltĂ e i proprietari terrieri. 5. **Ascesa del socialismo:** Il testo conclude evidenziando come tutti i fenomeni descritti, dai movimenti sindacali alle lotte dei lavoratori e all'allargamento del suffragio, abbiano avuto come protagonista un'ideologia emergente: il socialismo.According to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, the three key parts of the gospel message are that Christ died for the world's sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day according to the scriptures. Evangelism is the process of sharing the gospel with others. Christians should evangelize so others can have faith and salvation in Jesus Christ. Proverbs 11:30 says that it is wise to win souls. The Great Commission is Jesus' command for believers to evangelize all nations. Wherever Christians go, they are supposed to make disciples, baptize believers in the name of each Person in the Trinity, and teach about Jesus and how to live God's way. According to 2 Corinthians 5:20, Christians are ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador for Christ should be a good example through words and actions, such as inviting a friend to church, being friendly to new people, and being obedient and truthful. A witness is a person who gives evidence or proof of something he or she has seen or experienced. Christians can be a witness of Jesus by giving proof of their faith through evidence from the Bible. A Christian can give a testimony of what he or she has seen Jesus do in his or her life. Evangelism should include the following points: everyone is a sinner; a person must believe, repent, and receive eternal life; and a person must choose Jesus as Lord.Life Processes Identify and define the seven life processes (MRS GREN). Classification Group living organisms based on observed similarities and differences. Classify vertebrates into taxonomic groups based on visible physical characteristics. Construct a dichotomous key to classify vertebrates. Cells Compare the structure of generalised plant and animal cells, and selected microbes (e.g. bacteria, fungi and Amoeba) Distinguish among cell wall, cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm, temporary and permanent vacuoles, mitochondrion, chloroplast, endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes. Relate the structure of organelles to their functions; Identify specialised cells such as blood cells, ciliated epithelial cells, nerve cells, root hair cells, sperm cells and egg cells. Explain the importance of cell specialisation in multicellular organisms; include hierarchy of cells, tissues, organs; organ systems and then organism Diffusion, Osmosis, Active transport and Osmoregulation Explain the processes of diffusion, osmosis and active transport. Identify everyday instances of these processes occurring. Discuss the importance of diffusion, osmosis and active transport in living systems. Nutrition in Plants Describe the process of photosynthesis in green plants; test for end products, starch or reducing sugar (glucose). Relate the structure of the leaf of a flowering plant to its function in photosynthesis; draw and label the external features and the internal structure (cross section) of a leaf as seen in cross section under the light microscope. Nutrition in Humans Discuss the importance of a balanced diet in humans. State components of a balanced diet (carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals, water and roughage and their roles) along with the results of their deficiency or surplus. Suggest dietary recommendations for treating and preventing named deficiency and physiological diseases (such as those outlined in the manual and your notes). Perform tests to distinguish among food substances - Test for proteins (Biuret), fats (grease spot), starch (iodine), reducing sugars (Benedictâs solution). The Digestive System in Humans Relate the structures of the human alimentary canal to their functions; Draw and label simple diagrams of the alimentary canal and internal structure of a tooth required. Describe mastication and the role of teeth in the mechanical breakdown of food to be included. (Compare types of teeth in humans and compare types of teeth in herbivores and carnivores.) Explain the role and importance of enzymes role of digestive enzymes in the mouth, stomach and pancreatic enzymes in the small intestine. Discuss properties of enzymes. Deduce from tables and graphs the effects of temperature and pH on enzyme activity. Experimental Skills Follow all drawing rules as outlined in the drawing skills checklist posted in the classroom (including calculation of magnification).Align Panel: This panel allows you to align one or more objects the the artboard or other objects. Alignment: Formatting the appearance of text with the margins of the text box. Anchor Point Tool: Allows you to add or remove handles to create a curve on an anchor point. Anchor Points: A point on a path indicates a change of direction. Appearance Panel: This panel shows you the fill, strokes, graphic styles, and effects that have been applied to an object, group or layer and are able to modify theses from this panel directly. Area Type Tool: This occurs when using the type tool and you click and drag a text box, the text will automatically wrap inside the box. Blend Tool: This tool allows you to combine shapes/colors between two or more objects to create a new object between the original, blending the colors and shapes by inserting the middle steps to get from one object to the next. Blob Brush Tool: This tool is used to create free-form objects that can have a more hand-drawn feel. Brushes: Allows you to set the appearance/style of a path, can be applied to existing paths or used to create new paths. Clipping Masks: This command allows you to mask objects to a shape so that only areas that lie within the shape are visible, the mask and objects that are masked are called a clipping set. Closed Path: A path that has the same beginning and ending point. It forms a complete shape that can be filled with color or text. Create Outlines: This command converts text to closed paths and can be found in the Type Menu. Curvature Pen Tool: Allows you to simply create paths with curved anchor points. Curves: Can be applied to an anchor point using handles to create an arched line. Direct Select Tool: Allows you to select individual points of any path. Effects: These can be added to objects to create quick dynamic characteristics. Eraser Tool: This tool allows you to remove anchor points and cut through paths. Expand Objects: This allows you to divide a single object into multiple objects that make up its appearance. Eyedropper Tool: This tool allows you to sample the color or text from an existing part of the artwork. Global Swatches: This is a color swatches that will be automatically updated throughout your artwork when you change them, indicated with a white triangle in the corner of the swatch. Graphic Styles: A set of reusable appearance attributes that allow you to quickly change the look of an object. Grouping: This command allows you to link objects together so that they can be moved, scaled, rotator, or copy. Groups can be nested inside other groups. Hierarchy: To create visual order in design, controlling what the viewer looks at in order using size, color, contrast, etc⌠Image Trace: This command allows you to convert a raster image into a vector artwork. Isolation Mode: This mode allows you to adjust single objects/groups inside a group without ungrouping the group. Join Tool: This tool joins paths and anchor points together quickly. Kerning: This is the adjustment of the space between two individual letters. Knife Tool: This tool allows you to split an object into 2 pieces along a freehand path you draw. Leading: This is the adjustment of the space between lines of text. Live Corners: This widget appears when using the Direct Select tool and a corner is selected, when used this will create a rounded corner. Live Paint: This command allows you to quickly apply colors to objects in a complex design. Open Path: A path that does not end, not connected back to the original anchor point. Overflow Text: This occurs when the text box is too small to house all the text and is indicated by a small red plus sign in the bottom right corner of the text box. Paintbrush Tool: This tool is used to create free-form paths that can have a more hand-drawn feel. Paragraph Spacing: The space that occurs between lines of text. Pathfinder Panel: This panel allows you to create complex shapes by selecting 2 or more objects and using the buttons in the panel to cut, combine, or divide the objects. Paths: These are created when 2 or more points are connected, these are created using the pen tool. Pen Tool: It allows you to create and edit anchor points and paths. Pencil Tool: This tool is used to create free-form shapes or lines, the accuracy of the lines can be adjusted. Perspective Tool: This tool allows you to place elements on a perspective grid to adjust objects on a different perspective, automatically snapping to the perspective grid. Placeholder Text: Text that is placed in a text box that "holds a place" in a design to allow for creating a layout or adjust the text design. Point Type Tool: This occurs when when using the type tool and you click once, the text will continue without wrapping. Readability: The characteristics of fonts and styles that make test easy to identify and read. Scale, Shear, Distort Objects: This set of commands allows you to adjust the size and perspective of objects. Scissors Tool: This tool allows you to split a path into 2 pieces. Selection Tool: Allows you to select paths, objects or groups by click or dragging over them. Shape Builder Tool: This interactive tool allows you to create complex shapes by merging and erasing simpler objects. Shapes Tools: A group of tools to create basic shapes without using the pen tool (rectangle, ellipse, polygon, star, etcâŚ). Smooth Tool: This tool will smooth a complex path and reduce the number of anchor points. Swatches: This is a saved color that can be applied in a design via the swatches panel and can be grouped, these can include gradients and patterns. Text Wrapping: This is when the text in a text box automatically wraps to the next line when it reaches the edge of the box. Threading Text: This is the ability to create 2 or more text boxes that are linked, when text is added/adjusted in one box, it will affect the other(s). Touch Type Tool: This tool allows you to adjust individual letter in a previously created text box. Tracking: This is the adjustment of the overall spacing between letters. Transform Objects: This allows you to change the size of objects. Type on a Path Tool: This tool allows you to add text along any previously created path. Type Tool: This tool allows you to create text in a design. View Modes: Ability to view projects and adjust the display on the screen. Modes include Outlines, Presentation, & Full Screen.âThereâs No Such Thing as Sound Scienceâ by By Christie Aschwanden was a lead science writer for FiveThirtyEight. FiveThirtyEight, Science, Dec. 6, 2017 Science is being turned against itself. For decades, its twin ideals of transparency and rigor have been weaponized by those who disagree with results produced by the scientific method. Under the Trump administration, that fight has ramped up again. In a move ostensibly meant to reduce conflicts of interest, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has removed a number of scientists from advisory panels and replaced some of them with representatives from industries that the agency regulates. Like many in the Trump administration, Pruitt has also cast doubt on the reliability of climate science. For instance, in an interview with CNBC, Pruitt said that âmeasuring with precision human activity on the climate is something very challenging to do.â Similarly, Trumpâs pick to head NASA, an agency that oversees a large portion the nationâs climate research, has insisted that research into human influence on climate lacks certainty, and he falsely claimed that âglobal temperatures stopped rising 10 years ago.â Kathleen Hartnett White, Trumpâs nominee to head the White House Council on Environmental Quality, said in a Senate hearing last month that she thinks we âneed to have more precise explanations of the human role and the natural roleâ in climate change. The same entreaties crop up again and again: We need to root out conflicts. We need more precise evidence. What makes these arguments so powerful is that they sound quite similar to the points raised by proponents of a very different call for change thatâs coming from within science. This other movement strives to produce more robust, reproducible findings. Despite having dissimilar goals, the two forces espouse principles that look surprisingly alike: Science needs to be transparent. Results and methods should be openly shared so that outside researchers can independently reproduce and validate them. The methods used to collect and analyze data should be rigorous and clear, and conclusions must be supported by evidence. These are the arguments underlying an âopen scienceâ reform movement that was created, in part, as a response to a âreproducibility crisisâ that has struck some fields of science.1 But theyâre also used as talking points by politicians who are working to make it more difficult for the EPA and other federal agencies to use science in their regulatory decision-making, under the guise of basing policy on âsound science.â Scienceâs virtues are being wielded against it. What distinguishes the two calls for transparency is intent: Whereas the âopen scienceâ movement aims to make science more reliable, reproducible and robust, proponents of âsound scienceâ have historically worked to amplify uncertainty, create doubt and undermine scientific discoveries that threaten their interests. âOur criticisms are founded in a confidence in science,â said Steven Goodman, co-director of the Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford and a proponent of open science. âThatâs a fundamental difference â weâre critiquing science to make it better. Others are critiquing it to devalue the approach itself.â Calls to base public policy on âsound scienceâ seem unassailable if you donât know the termâs history. The phrase was adopted by the tobacco industry in the 1990s to counteract mounting evidence linking secondhand smoke to cancer. A 1992 Environmental Protection Agency report identified secondhand smoke as a human carcinogen, and Philip Morris responded by launching an initiative to promote what it called âsound science.â In an internal memo, Philip Morris vice president of corporate affairs Ellen Merlo wrote that the program was designed to âdiscredit the EPA report,â âprevent states and cities, as well as businesses from passing smoking bansâ and âproactivelyâ pass legislation to help their cause. The sound science tactic exploits a fundamental feature of the scientific process: Science does not produce absolute certainty. Contrary to how itâs sometimes represented to the public, science is not a magic wand that turns everything it touches to truth. Instead, itâs a process of uncertainty reduction, much like a game of 20 Questions. Any given study can rarely answer more than one question at a time, and each study usually raises a bunch of new questions in the process of answering old ones. âScience is a process rather than an answer,â said psychologist Alison Ledgerwood of the University of California, Davis. Every answer is provisional and subject to change in the face of new evidence. Itâs not entirely correct to say that âthis study proves this fact,â Ledgerwood said. âWe should be talking instead about how science increases or decreases our confidence in something.â The tobacco industryâs brilliant tactic was to turn this baked-in uncertainty against the scientific enterprise itself. While insisting that they merely wanted to ensure that public policy was based on sound science, tobacco companies defined the term in a way that ensured that no science could ever be sound enough. The only sound science was certain science, which is an impossible standard to achieve. âDoubt is our product,â wrote one employee of the Brown & Williamson tobacco company in a 1969 internal memo. The note went on to say that doubt âis the best means of competing with the âbody of factââ and âestablishing a controversy.â These strategies for undermining inconvenient science were so effective that theyâve served as a sort of playbook for industry interests ever since, said Stanford University science historian Robert Proctor. The sound science push is no longer just Philip Morris sowing doubt about the links between cigarettes and cancer. Itâs also a 1998 action plan by the American Petroleum Institute, Chevron and Exxon Mobil to âinstall uncertaintyâ about the link between greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Itâs industry-funded groupsâ late-1990s effort to question the science the EPA was using to set fine-particle-pollution air-quality standards that the industry didnât want. And then there was the more recent effort by Dow Chemical to insist on more scientific certainty before banning a pesticide that the EPAâs scientists had deemed risky to children. Now comes a move by the Trump administrationâs EPA to repeal a 2015 rule on wetlands protection by disregarding particular studies. (To name just a few examples.) Doubt merchants arenât pushing for knowledge, theyâre practicing what Proctor has dubbed âagnogenesisâ â the intentional manufacture of ignorance. This ignorance isnât simply the absence of knowing something; itâs a lack of comprehension deliberately created by agents who donât want you to know, Proctor said.2 In the hands of doubt-makers, transparency becomes a rhetorical move. âItâs really difficult as a scientist or policy maker to make a stand against transparency and openness, because well, who would be against it?â said Karen Levy, researcher on information science at Cornell University. But at the same time, âyou can couch everything in the language of transparency and it becomes a powerful weapon.â For instance, when the EPA was preparing to set new limits on particulate pollution in the 1990s, industry groups pushed back against the research and demanded access to primary data (including records that researchers had promised participants would remain confidential) and a reanalysis of the evidence. Their calls succeeded and a new analysis was performed. The reanalysis essentially confirmed the original conclusions, but the process of conducting it delayed the implementation of regulations and cost researchers time and money. Delay is a time-tested strategy. âGridlock is the greatest friend a global warming skeptic has,â said Marc Morano, a prominent critic of global warming research and the executive director of ClimateDepot.com, in the documentary âMerchants of Doubtâ (based on the book by the same name). Moranoâs site is a project of the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, which has received funding from the oil and gas industry. âWeâre the negative force. Weâre just trying to stop stuff.â Some of these ploys are getting a fresh boost from Congress. The Data Quality Act (also known as the Information Quality Act) was reportedly written by an industry lobbyist and quietly passed as part of an appropriations bill in 2000. The rule mandates that federal agencies ensure the âquality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of informationâ that they disseminate, though it does little to define what these terms mean. The law also provides a mechanism for citizens and groups to challenge information that they deem inaccurate, including science that they disagree with. âIt was passed in this very quiet way with no explicit debate about it â that should tell you a lot about the real goals,â Levy said. But whatâs most telling about the Data Quality Act is how itâs been used, Levy said. A 2004 Washington Post analysis found that in the 20 months following its implementation, the act was repeatedly used by industry groups to push back against proposed regulations and bog down the decision-making process. Instead of deploying transparency as a fundamental principle that applies to all science, these interests have used transparency as a weapon to attack very particular findings that they would like to eradicate. Now Congress is considering another way to legislate how science is used. The Honest Act, a bill sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas,3 is another example of what Levy calls a âTrojan horseâ law that uses the language of transparency as a cover to achieve other political goals. Smithâs legislation would severely limit the kind of evidence the EPA could use for decision-making. Only studies whose raw data and computer codes were publicly available would be allowed for consideration. That might sound perfectly reasonable, and in many cases it is, Goodman said. But sometimes there are good reasons why researchers canât conform to these rules, like when the data contains confidential or sensitive medical information.4 Critics, which include more than a dozen scientific organizations, argue that, in practice, the rules would prevent many studies from being considered in EPA reviews.5 It might seem like an easy task to sort good science from bad, but in reality itâs not so simple. âThereâs a misplaced idea that we can definitively distinguish the good from the not-good science, but itâs all a matter of degree,â said Brian Nosek, executive director of the Center for Open Science. âThere is no perfect study.â Requiring regulators to wait until they have (nonexistent) perfect evidence is essentially âa way of saying, âWe donât want to use evidence for our decision-making,ââ Nosek said. Most scientific controversies arenât about science at all, and once the sides are drawn, more data is unlikely to bring opponents into agreement. Michael Carolan, who researches the sociology of technology and scientific knowledge at Colorado State University, wrote in a 2008 paper about why objective knowledge is not enough to resolve environmental controversies. âWhile these controversies may appear on the surface to rest on disputed questions of fact, beneath often reside differing positions of value; values that can give shape to differing understandings of what âthe factsâ are.â Whatâs needed in these cases isnât more or better science, but mechanisms to bring those hidden values to the forefront of the discussion so that they can be debated transparently. âAs long as we continue down this unabashedly naive road about what science is, and what it is capable of doing, we will continue to fail to reach any sort of meaningful consensus on these matters,â Carolan writes. The dispute over tobacco was never about the science of cigarettesâ link to cancer. It was about whether companies have the right to sell dangerous products and, if so, what obligations they have to the consumers who purchased them. Similarly, the debate over climate change isnât about whether our planet is heating, but about how much responsibility each country and person bears for stopping it. While researching her book âMerchants of Doubt,â science historian Naomi Oreskes found that some of the same people who were defending the tobacco industry as scientific experts were also receiving industry money to deny the role of human activity in global warming. What these issues had in common, she realized, was that they all involved the need for government action. âNone of this is about the science. All of this is a political debate about the role of government,â she said in the documentary. These controversies are really about values, not scientific facts, and acknowledging that would allow us to have more truthful and productive debates. What would that look like in practice? Instead of cherry-picking evidence to support a particular view (and insisting that the science points to a desired action), the various sides could lay out the values they are using to assess the evidence. For instance, in Europe, many decisions are guided by the precautionary principle â a system that values caution in the face of uncertainty and says that when the risks are unclear, it should be up to industries to show that their products and processes are not harmful, rather than requiring the government to prove that they are harmful before they can be regulated. By contrast, U.S. agencies tend to wait for strong evidence of harm before issuing regulations. Both approaches have critics, but the difference between them comes down to priorities: Is it better to exercise caution at the risk of burdening companies and perhaps the economy, or is it more important to avoid potential economic downsides even if it means that sometimes a harmful product or industrial process goes unregulated? In other words, under what circumstances do we agree to act on a risk? How certain do we need to be that the risk is real, and how many people would need to be at risk, and how costly is it to reduce that risk? Those are moral questions, not scientific ones, and openly discussing and identifying these kinds of judgment calls would lead to a more honest debate. Science matters, and we need to do it as rigorously as possible. But science canât tell us how risky is too risky to allow products like cigarettes or potentially harmful pesticides to be sold â those are value judgements that only humans can make.