L3 cold case

Evidence

• Extract from The Who - "Won't Get Fooled Again" YouTube Link

Due Date Reminders

• Pre-Quiz: due tonight before midnight

• First textbook assignment (Ch. 1): due tonight before midnight

• Source evaluation worksheet: due next week, night before discussion section

What's the Evidence?

• Exploration of different forms of evidence in science.

Understanding Pseudoscience

• Quote by Wolfgang Pauli: "It’s not only not right, it’s not even wrong"

• Definition: An explanation that cannot be falsified.

Formulating Questions

• Encouragement to pose questions for better understanding.

Pseudoscience in Advertising

• Discussion on the implications of pseudoscience within marketing practices.

The Scientific Method

• Steps:

  • Observation: Note a phenomenon posing a problem/question.

  • Hypothesis formulation: Pose hypotheses to explain the observation.

  • Prediction: Make statements on outcomes of hypothesis testing.

  • Testing the Hypothesis: Carry out experiments to gather data.

Thinking Like a Biologist

• Key approaches:

  • Ask questions.

  • Look for evidence and distinguish from opinion.

  • Experiment, evaluate, and assess evidence.

  • Determine if evidence sufficiently supports claims.

  • Continue to seek more evidence when necessary.

Useful Questions

• Important queries to consider:

  • What’s the evidence?

  • How do we know what we know?

  • Why should I believe that?

  • How do we trust what we know?

  • What’s the experiment and further information needed for firm conclusions?

Ice Cold Case

• Introduction to a historical and forensic investigation.

CSI: Neolithic

• Overview of methods in crime scene investigation of ancient periods.

Setting

• Contextual background of the Italian Alps in September 1991.

Interdisciplinary Approach

• Intersection of history, anthropology, and biology.

• Encouragement to articulate personal inquiries.

Knowledge and Certainty

• Importance of understanding what we know and how that knowledge is derived.

Historical Context

• Egyptian pyramids: As old as 2630 BC.

• Ötzi: Approximately 3300 BC.

• Stonehenge: Erected between 2000 and 3000 BC.

Carbon Dating

• Definition of carbon dating and its importance in dating ancient specimens.

• Carbon-14: Acquired from the atmosphere, decays into Carbon-12, functioning as an atomic clock.

Understanding Carbon Dating

• Premise: Initial amount of Carbon-14 is known.

• Decay pattern: Carbon-14 decreases 2-fold every 5730 years.

• Conclusion: Remaining amount of Carbon-14 indicates age of the specimen.

Focus on Tattoos

• Inquiry about the significance and implications of tattoos found on Ötzi.

Tattoo and Pain Sites

• Mapping of tattoo locations on the body.

• Possible connections to acupressure points.

Visualizing Ötzi

• Discussion regarding the appearance and reconstruction of Ötzi.

Evidence from DNA

• Importance of genetic evidence in understanding Ötzi.

DNA Findings

• Conclusions from Ötzi’s DNA:

  • Closest relatives: Present-day Sardinia natives.

  • Physical traits: Brown eyes, blood group O, risk for heart disease, lactose intolerance, presence of Lyme disease.

Genetic Relations to Sardinians

• Investigating relations and the methodology behind genomic studies.

Tracing Lineages

• Exploration of human history through genetic mutations.

• Overview of ancestral DNA and the routes of migration.

Mapping Similarity in DNA

• Visual representation of how closely related individuals are based on DNA points.

• Color-coding indicating geographical origins.

Analyzing DNA Variants

• Discussion on frequency and implications of DNA variants found in Ötzi’s Y chromosome.

Cultural and Genetic Hypotheses

• Two main hypotheses regarding genetic distinctiveness of the Sardinian population:

  • Hypothesis 1: Change in Sardinian genetics post-isolation from Europe.

  • Hypothesis 2: Change in continental European genetics without affecting Sardinians.

Genetic Arguments

• Summary of findings supporting the latter hypothesis regarding Ötzi’s genetic similarities with present-day Sardinians.

Lactose Intolerance Findings

• Inquiry into evidence supporting Ötzi's lactose intolerance.

Summary of DNA Evidence

• Findings related to nuclear SNP analysis of Ötzi to validate genetic claims.

Nuclear SNP Verification

• Table summarizing genetic markers relevant to various health aspects.

  • Highlighted genetic traits linked to coronary artery disease and lactase persistence.

CT Imaging

• Description and discussion of CT imaging results, anatomical findings, and potential implications.

Microbial Presence

• The role of microbes in understanding human biology; overview of bacterial presence in Ötzi.

Iceman’s Metagenome

• Insight into the distribution and content of the Iceman’s microbiome with respect to different bacterial phyla.

  • Notable detection of Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease).

Borrelia burgdorferi

• Electron micrograph depicting Borrelia burgdorferi, its transmission and effects.

Dietary Analysis of Ötzi

• Investigation into Ötzi's dietary habits through genetic analysis.

DNA Evidence on Diet

• Further exploration of dietary implications based on genetic data.

Eikorn Flour

• Detailing Ötzi's potential dietary components including ancient grains like einkorn flour.

Dietary Habits

• Examination of the types of food sources in Ötzi’s diet, including ibex meat.

Steps in Scientific Reasoning

• Encouragement to utilize scientific reasoning through questioning, evidence assessment, and hypothesis testing.

Summary of Evidence on Ötzi's Death

• Consideration of multiple lines of evidence regarding Ötzi’s death:

  • Arrow injury, hand wounds, presence of copper axe, indication of head trauma, and dietary contents shortly before death.