The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka!" ("I found it!") but rather "hmmm...that's funny..." -Isaac Asimov

Although this statement by science fiction writer Isaac Asimov might seem contradictory to the development of ideas, the words lie at the heart of scientific discovery. Scientists do not spend their time finding supporting evidence for ideas that already exist. They use these explanations to test the ideas in new experiments. When the results of the experiment are unexpected, the development and growth of ideas flourishes. Over the next ten months, you will be the scientists and work through processes that will allow us to develop the currently accepted and understood ideas for how the world around us works. We will use primary source materials, books, videos, simulations, laboratory investigations, and problem solving in an effort to better understand why current explanations for observed phenomena exist.