Lab 2: Problem Solving

Problem Solving!• Understand ‘scientific approach’ and

its practice

• Use ‘scientific approach’ in your own problem-solving activities

• Heighten your awareness of the role and construction of a scientific argument

• Use thought and existing knowledge in hypothesis generation and testing

Definitions

• “Science is the human endeavor to achieve a better understanding of the world by observation, comparison, experiment, analysis, synthesis, and conceptualization”

• “Science is a body of facts (‘knowledge’) and the concepts that permit explaining these facts.”

• Both from Ernst Mayr, What makes biology unique p. 140 (Kindle version)

Scientific Method

• Observation

• Hypothesize

• Model

• Predict

• Test

• Repeat?

Scientific Method

• Observation

• Hypothesize

• Model

• Predict

• Test

• Repeat?

NOT an ‘educated guess’!!!

Scientific Method• IF (insert mechanism here) “is tru

e”

• THEN (a predicted outcome based on the mechanism) “must also be true”

It’s not limited to ‘scientists’

• You stumble out of your room at 4 a.m. and turn on a lamp

• Nothing happens• Now what? Did your world disappear?

It’s not limited to ‘scientists’

• “The light’s not turning on!” = observation• ‘Possible explanations’ = hypothesis/models• “If I ______, it should _____” = prediction• Execution of prediction = test• Goal is to whittle away possibilities until only

one is left standing– If only looking at one, challenge it to fail

Ways of knowing what you ‘know’

• Empirical--you saw it, touched it, etc.• Reasoned argument from

documented/identified assumptions & previous knowledge

• Repeatedly established by others that you ‘trust’• ‘Intuition’ arises from experience & mental

participation• Never: assertions by authority

Here it is at work, WITH ways of ‘knowing’!

Smell for yourself

• What do you notice/observe?

• What does this ‘tell’ you?– About what your body does– About the molecules

• What do ‘different smells’ tell you?

Smell for yourself

• So, you’ve formulated a hypothesis…

• BOTH molecules are C10H14O

• New hypothesis?

Smell for yourself

• See ‘Duo_Comparator’ in Bio181L_Go

What do you conclude?

A ‘big part’ of science is observation…

SPOTTING A PATTERN

Pattern Master

• YOU find the rules

Pattern Master

• Take a look

• Bio181L_Go => “PatternMaster”

• Enter a random#

• Select ‘Demo’

• Perimeter to top inner color

• Top inner color to lower left color

• Lower right color to lower left color

Given 1-step clockwise*, it could be...

Pattern Master Write Up• Description clearly explains underlying

rule (50 points)–supplemented with examples

–sufficient to guide someone who doesn’t know the game

Pattern Master Write Up• Description clearly explains underlying

rule (50 points)–supplemented with examples

–sufficient to guide someone who doesn’t know the game

• Proposed solution wrong or not understandable… points taken OFF & max possible score 45 no matter what

Pattern Master Write Up• Description clearly explains underlying

rule (50 points)–supplemented with examples

–sufficient to guide someone who doesn’t know the game

• Proposed solution wrong or not understandable… points taken OFF & max possible score 45 no matter what

• More points? Harder puzzle! 45, 50, 55

Making Order• In PatternMaster, you conjecture from

a ‘standing start’, then test resulting hypotheses

• Now - you’ll investigate building of knowledge, = creation of simplifying view from initially disparate information

Two sets of liquids

• Indicator 1-6; Substances A & B

Two sets of liquids

• Indicator 1-6; Substance A & B• These are yours to investigate. How much

can you figure out?

Two sets of liquids

• Indicator 1-6; Substance A & B• These are yours to investigate. How much

can you figure out?• What design/experiments will you perform

to gain insight

Two sets of liquids

• Indicator 1-6; Substance A & B• These are yours to investigate. How much

can you figure out?• What experiments will you perform to gain

insight• As you make observations, can you model

the world?

Two sets of liquids

• Indicator 1-6; Substance A & B• These are yours to investigate. How much

can you figure out?• What experiments will you perform to gain

insight• As you make observations, can you model

the world?• Suggestion: finding an organized way to

record your data is probably a Good Idea

Rubrics

• What’s a rubric?– Treasure map to points = see rubric!!!!

Group Assignments

Learning from yourself

Five tips from you to you• Strategies, approaches, insights you

observed, employed, discovered today

• For each– state the rule, approach, etc.– explain the context in which it arose– state a circumstance where it could apply

in your future

• This is 25% of next week’s quiz grade, handed in today

Quantum Mine

• Open

• “Show Beams”

• “Show Gems”

• Figure out the rules

• What do you have?

Quantum Mine• Turn off ‘hints’

Quantum Mine• Turn off ‘hints’

• Solve one as a group

Quantum Mine• Turn off ‘hints’

• Solve one as a group

• NO CLICKING until all group members understand and support proposal

Quantum Mine• Turn off ‘hints’

• Solve one as a group

• NO CLICKING until all group members understand and support proposal

MAKE A PREDIC

TION – IF

… THEN

Quantum Mine• Turn off ‘hints’

• Solve one as a group

• NO CLICKING until all group members understand and support proposal

• Hypothesis proposer ≠ prediction maker ≠ result analyzer

Quantum Mine• Turn off ‘hints’

• Solve one as a group

• NO CLICKING until all group members understand and support proposal

• Hypothesis proposer ≠ prediction maker ≠ result analyzer

• Successful = 4 bonus pts on PM

Homework• Quantum Mine: Bonus credit

• Pattern Master: Solution & (written) description

–Written submitted to D2L Dropbox (doc or docx ONLY)

• Assessor: the Logic of Disproof

• Mix and Match Liquids: write-up of today’s work (see rubric)

• Submit to Dropbox (1/group)