Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Inventing with hypotheses
writ 1133
Inventing with hypotheses
writ 1133
Automobile 1
Automobile 1 was tested by assessing the damage done to a crash test dummy when the car was driven at 35 mph head on into a concrete barrier and when it was hit on the slide by a 3,000 lb. trolley moving at 35 mph. The test showed that, under these conditions, there is a 10% chance of life-threatening injury.
Inventing with hypotheses
writ 1133
Automobile 2
Automobile 2 was tested by assessing the damage done to a human driver when the car was driven at 35 mph down a pleasant, traffic-free country lane surrounded by daisies and daffodils on a sunny day in May. The test showed that, under these conditions, there is a 0% chance of life-threatening injury.
writ 1133
Inventing with hypotheses
What is a hypothesis? How do you test one? And why?
writ 1133
Inventing with hypotheses
Rene Descartes
writ 1133
For example:
WRIT students will go on to achieve academic success, because they are very bright and very hardworking.
WRIT students will go on to achieve academic success, because I am the greatest teacher who ever lived.
hyp
oth
esis
Inventing with hypotheses
A hypothesis is an empirically falsifiable explanation of observable phenomena.
writ 1133
hyp
oth
esis
Inventing with hypotheses
Claim: WRIT students will go on to achieve academic success.
A reason: Because they are very bright and very hardworking.
A hypothesis is an argument: It is made up of (at least) two assertions: a debatable claim + a reason or reasons for believing the claim.
writ 1133
hyp
oth
esis
Inventing with hypotheses
A hypothesis is an argument: It is made up of (at least) two assertions: a debatable claim + a reason or reasons for believing the claim.
Claim: WRIT students will go on to achieve academic success.
A reason: Because I am the greatest teacher who ever lived.
writ 1133
These statements are falsifiable:
The sun will rise again tomorrow, because it (the sun) revolves from east to west around the earth.
The sun will rise again tomorrow, because the earth, which revolves around the sun, makes a complete easterly rotation on its axis once every 24 hours.
fals
ifia
bili
ty
Inventing with hypotheses
To say that a hypothesis is falsifiable means that it can be shown to be false.
writ 1133
However, this statement is not falsifiable:
The sun will rise again tomorrow, because Mother Nature wills it.
fals
ifia
bili
ty
Inventing with hypotheses
To say that a hypothesis is falsifiable means that it can be shown to be false.
writ 1133
Inventing with hypotheses
Imagine that the computer had never been invented.
How would higher education be better off, worse off, or otherwise different?
writ 1133
Inventing with hypotheses
Imagine that the computer had never been invented.
How would higher education be better off, worse off, or otherwise different?
Why do you believe that? . . .
writ 1133
Inventing with hypotheses
Imagine that the computer had never been invented.
How would higher education be better off, worse off, or otherwise different?
Why do you believe that? . . .
How could you prove this?
