- Apr 2023
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bio.libretexts.org bio.libretexts.org
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While both are similar, the differences are still real and we need to practice both processes. We'll assert that we use both processes in "real life" all of the time. A physician, for instance, will use both processes interactively as she forms hypotheses that try to determine what might be causing her patient's ailments. She will turn around and use the design process to build a course of treatment that meets certain success criteria. A scientist may be deep into hypothesis generation but he will eventually need to use a design process for building an experiment that will, within certain definable success criteria, help him answer a question.
The two processes are interconnected in real world application (though they are separate they are both needed in order to fully have a well rounded experiment such as in the scientist example or to fully assess and help a patient such as in the physician example).
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This exercise requires us to use imagination and critical thinking.
From what I gathered it (the design project) seems like the foundation step to what will become what was discussed above in the article and will help us garner the skills to make the educated and meaningful questions that are the cornerstone of scientific discovery. It forces you to look at the problem verses just making an observation.
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Indeed, historically, it is first and foremost the application of these skills, perhaps more than technical ability, which has led to big advances in science.
Without questioning what we don't and what we "do" know there would never be any new discoveries about the world around us. If it weren't for people questioning the way the world worked years ago we wouldn't have made the discoveries required to have advanced in society the way we have. Regardless if their findings were later disproven, the fact that they had a desire to know a meaningful reason as to why things exist is what mattered. Or at least that's what I took from this segment and from prior classes. The whole point of science isn't to be right or better put, to have your hypothesis to be correct, but rather to test what we know and expand our knowledge of what we don't.
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bio.libretexts.org bio.libretexts.org
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For instance, the thing X that you don't understand works a little like thing Y that you do understand.
Creating connections between topics from what I've read previously has, if I remember correctly, been proven to be one of the most effective ways of learning and truly understanding new material since the connections between ideas not only can make them easier to learn but the connection can also make it easier to retain that information.
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it can take away a lot of the anxiety of contributing or getting called on
I think its really nice that the aspect of anxiety is discussed in this part since its the main reason that I often don't outwardly participate in lectures since the sudden pressure of speaking can sometimes make me blank on the topic at hand so I appreciate that it was outwardly stated that it is alright to say "I don't know".
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reprogram diseased tissues back to health
I think this part of the text is really interesting since in the medical field I feel like we've seen rudimentary versions of these since they can "grow" new ears in say a patient arm but they're just a prosthetic and aren't truly functional. With what they're claiming in the article however would be truly revolutionary and beneficial to those suffering with chronic illnesses or people with disabilities.
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