bio2129 lecture 2
what are the steps to define a scientific questions
must be able to be answered, must be measurable, should push boudries of knowledge, shold be driven by curiosity
why should ecologist cares about monarch butterflies
they are pollinators and contribute to ecosystem stability
what is the scientific value from learning from monarch decline
studying monarch help us understand other butterflies and pollinators more broadly
why should we care is a specie sin declining
intrinsic value, life has worth beyond just usefullness to humans, humans have no righ to drive a species to extinction, ethical demension and biodiversity
what is a hypothesis
an idea that proposes a tentative explanation for a phenomenon in the natural world based on observation and prior knowledge
what is inductive reasoning
drawing general conclusions or hypotheses from specific observations
what is a prediction
the specific outcome that a scientist expects to observe if their hypothesis is correct
predictions are derived through
deductive reasoning from a hypothesis
in short the scientific method is
1) ask a question. 2) make a hypothesis from inductive reasoning. 3) deduce predictions of hypothesis. 4) Collect observations to test predictions 5) eliminate hypotheses
what is deductive reasoning
use a general statement to form a specific conclusion
what is affirming the consequent
a logical fallacy of assuming that because the outcome (Q) is true, the cause (P) must also be true, from a conditional “if P, then Q.”
an observation can support a hypothesis (induction), but cannot
prove it with certainty
what is nuance
Patterns in ecological data or behavior that allow scientist to derive predictions.
nuance helps
explain variation and guide hypotheses
what make for a good hypothesis
Ockham's razor (law of parsimony)
what is Ockham's razor
to make a hypothesis as simple as you reasonably can
why is ockham's razor important
it keep a hypothesis focused, testable and reliable and avoids unnessary complexity until evidence needs it
science is not infallible, but
self correcting
a successful prediction + prediction of additional characteristics =
understanding of nature
reproductibility
reliability