Lab 2: Problem Solving

1. Lab 2: Problem Solving

2. 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

3. 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)

4. Scientific Method • Observation • Hypothesize • Model • Predict • Test • Repeat?

5. Scientific Method • Observation • Hypothesize • Model • Predict • Test • Repeat? NOT an ‘educated guess’!!!

6. Scientific Method • IF (insert mechanism here) “is true” • THEN (a predicted outcome based on the mechanism) “must also be true”

7. 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?

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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?

12. Smell for yourself • So, you’ve formulated a hypothesis… • BOTH molecules are C10H14O • New hypothesis?

13. Smell for yourself • See ‘Duo_Comparator’ in Bio181L_Go What do you conclude?

14. A ‘big part’ of science is observation… SPOTTING A PATTERN

15. Pattern Master • YOU find the rules

16. Pattern Master • Take a look • Bio181L_Go => “PatternMaster” • Enter a random# • Select ‘Demo’

17. 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...

18. Pattern Master Write Up • Description clearly explains underlying rule (50 points) • supplemented with examples • sufficient to guide someone who doesn’t know the game

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. Two sets of liquids • Indicator 1-6; Substances A & B

23. Two sets of liquids • Indicator 1-6; Substance A & B • These are yours to investigate. How much can you figure out?

24. 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

25. 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?

26. 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

27. Rubrics • What’s a rubric? • Treasure map to points = see rubric!!!!

28. Group Assignments

29. Learning from yourself

30. 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

31. Quantum Mine • Open • “Show Beams” • “Show Gems” • Figure out the rules • What do you have?

32. Quantum Mine • Turn off ‘hints’

33. Quantum Mine • Turn off ‘hints’ • Solve one as a group

34. Quantum Mine • Turn off ‘hints’ • Solve one as a group • NO CLICKING until all group members understand and support proposal

35. Quantum Mine • Turn off ‘hints’ • Solve one as a group • NO CLICKING until all group members understand and support proposal MAKE A PREDICTION – IF… THEN

36. 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

37. 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

38. 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)