BIOL 3327 Experimental Methods Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover key concepts from the BIOL 3327 Experimental Methods lectures, including scientific research definitions, hypothesis and model differences, reasoning types, and important philosophers' contributions to scientific methodology.

What is the key focus of scientific research?

Determining a property Y about some thing X, to a degree of accuracy sufficient for another person to confirm this property Y.

What does a well-designed scientific experiment allow us to do?

Predict what will happen if the experiment is repeated and suggests the generalizability of outcomes.

What is the difference between a hypothesis and a model in scientific research?

A hypothesis is deductive and backward-looking, while a model is inductive and future-predicting.

What is a null hypothesis (H0)?

It is a statement that assumes no effect or no difference, used as a starting point for statistical testing.

What are the steps involved in hypothesis testing?

1. State the research hypothesis, 2. Design experiment and collect data, 3. Perform statistical tests, 4. Decide to reject or fail to reject H0.

Define deductive reasoning.

Deductive reasoning is making an inference based on widely accepted facts or premises.

What is inductive reasoning?

Inductive reasoning extracts a premise from initial data, moving from specific observations to generalized conclusions.

What is 'hypotheses non fingo'?

Latin for 'I frame no hypotheses', indicating a stance of not starting with unproven premises.

Who is known as the 'father of experiments and their exactness'?

Galileo.

What did Francis Bacon argue about experimentation?

He argued that experimentation-based methodology is necessary and that it is essential to avoid preconceived dogma.

How does David Hume critique inductive reasoning?

He posits that we cannot claim something will always happen simply because it has happened in the past.

What is the essence of Karl Popper's philosophy regarding science?

Popper emphasized falsification over verification and argued that science should focus on whether hypotheses can be proven false.

How do models differ from hypotheses?

Models are data-derived, can be explicitly tested for predictive power, and accept the framework of inductive reasoning.

What is the significance of the 'Uniformity of Nature' assumption?

It assumes that the same patterns observed in the past will occur in future experimental results.

What should be considered when evaluating the predictive power of a model?

The stability of the answer determined by repetition and the accuracy of predictions made based on the model.

What does it mean for a model to have probabilistic correctness?

A model can be correct within a range of probabilities rather than needing to be absolutely correct.