Difference between revisions of "Class Journal Week 1"

Revision as of 19:07, 29 August 2013

Week 1 Reflection Questions:

Denning Pre-Questions

1. When I hear computer science, I think of the underlying processes of the black box I am used to working with. I see computer science as the field of discovering how to create digital processes and then how to improve them.
2. I'm not sure, likely the same thing that comes to mind for me but a little more mystery behind it.
3. I think they think of it as making computers, but I am not sure.

Janovy Pre-Questions

1. When I hear biology, I think of the study of life at all levels from ecosystems down to genetics.
2. I do not consider myself purely biologist even though it is the topic of my study. It seems too limited as a lot of my interests are philosophical or psychological although I do use parsimony and evolutionary theory as the governing paradigms in my thought process.

Post-Reading Questions

1. The purpose of these readings was for us to think more deeply about what computer science and biology are as well as how they can interact and be interpreted in different ways.
2. The scientist personality appeals to me the most. I'm interested in how the black box works and see the need for future research, but prefer to apply what is being done to questions in the natural world rather than work in the process of discovering or improving technology.
3. Hierarchical aggregation applies all throughout biology. Ecosystems are formed by populations, populations by individuals, organisms by cells, cells by organelles. This scaling is pretty much the definition of hierarchical organization which is small fragments that are combined as part of a larger whole.
4. I found the most interesting part, and also the part I disagreed with the most, of Janovy's text was that a biologist or a biological mindset is somehow categorically distinct from that of other disciplines. I disagree as his description of the biologist seems to be a general description of an analytical mind and what he seems to separate is mostly the apathetic from the observational.
5. To be a biologist is to be an inquisitive mind uniquely focused on the natural world. I still cannot consider myself a biologist because my interests expand beyond the area typically considered biology but I am nonetheless biologically minded. I am just interested in additional disciplines as well.

Taur.vil (talk) 11:05, 29 August 2013 (PDT)

Viktoria Kuehn

Denning Questions:

1. When I hear the term computer science I think of it as an understanding of the way computer programs are made and how they function. It also has to do with applying this knowlegde to other fields and using it efficiently.
2. When older relatives hear the term they probably think of the people who created yahoo and the other websites they know how to use.
3. I think younger relatives think of it as creating video games.

Janovy Questions:

1. When I hear the term Biology I think of it as the study of life, how it functions, and its surroundings.
2. I do consider myself a biologist because I am interested in learning and better understanding the way life works.

Reading Questions:

Vkuehn (talk) 11:55, 29 August 2013 (PDT)

Kevin Meilak

Before Denning article questions

1. Computer science brings to mind people who have learned how to code computers. It is a field that is dedicated to making computers more useful to users.
2. It is likely that they think of a complicated system beyond their understanding that some people with a particular aptitude work in but that for most is incomprehensible.
3. It is likely that younger friends and relatives think of the many science fiction fantasies that computers can do, such as artificial intelligence.

Before Janovy chapter questions

1. Biology brings to mind a field that studies life. It is the scientific approach to what life does and how it works in all of its many forms.
2. I consider myself a biologist because I am a biology major. While I do not work full-time in scientific pursuits, I have dedicated this time in my life to the study of life, which is the fundamental aspect of biology. Furthermore, I have engaged in research, which is the quintessential work of a biologist.

After reading questions

1. The purpose of these readings was to dispel common misconceptions about both computer science and biology.
2. The computational thinker appealed to me the most because of the emphasis on problem solving and because that job links programmers and scientists to do incredible things.
3. While it is obvious, and even uses a word created for the human brain before computers and computation, the principle of recollection can be applied to the memory of human brains.
4. I found the most interesting and provocative piece of this reading the distinction between identity and action. Someone may work their entire life in a shop, but that does not make them a shopkeeper. And, conversely, there are some people who spend relatively little time in a shop yet consider themselves shopkeepers for nostalgic, idealistic, or other personal reasons. When applied to biology, his critique of the education given to biology majors is valid; they are taught about the science, but not what it means to be a scientist, or why they chose to be one.
5. Being a biologist means accepting an identity, typically one that began in fascination with the world. I do consider myself a biologist because of this fascination, and not my chosen major or work. To liken myself to the author’s examples, I had a collection of pine cones, leaves, twigs, dead insects, etc. when I was young because I was fascinated with them. This makes me a biologist far more than any formal education could, for while I do biology, doing something does give an identity.

Week 1 Journal Entry

Kmeilak (talk) 12:11, 29 August 2013 (PDT)