Class Journal Week 1

Week 1 Reflection Questions:

Tauras

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)