This blog is devoted to BIOL 6988, a graduate level seminar in the biological sciences at Youngstown State University. While targeted towards graduate students, BIOL 6988 actively incorporates undergraduate participants in their scholastic endeavors in the biological sciences. This blog is intended as a educational tool not just for YSU students and faculty, but for anyone who wishes to contribute to an active-learning environment.
Hello All! In our first week of content this semester, we watched the riveting short film titled The Origin of Species: The Making of a Theory. This video showcased the voyages of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace and how they independently came to the same revolutionary conclusions based on entirely separate data sets: species change over time by way of natural selection and give rise to new species.
Darwin tentatively came to these conclusions almost 20 years earlier then Wallace. However, these ideas directly contradicted the scientific community of the times. Darwin had a reputation to protect and shared his findings with only a select few. Suppose YOU discovered something in your own data or one of our labs here, and this new conclusion would totally upend science as we know it; how would you approach these new findings? Who would you share them with? Would you share them at all?
First off, I wanted to say, I really enjoyed the film. I knew the broad idea of Darwin and his finches and some of Wallace, but not all of the history that was presented. So I found it very informative.
To find something today challenging the established concepts of the world would be both terrifying and exciting. I believe Darwin and Wallace had larger hurdles to overcome in their time because of the church and established body of knowledge. Although, possibly less challenging in today's world, I personally would remain cautious of bringing forward new found information against established knowledge. I would much like Darwin and Wallace want to accumulate a mass amount of evidence supporting my claim. In addition, unlike Darwin, I would most likely present this information to a trusted colleague for their input and help justifying this claim or debunking it. I most likely would not share all of this information to see what kind of conclusions my colleague would form and if they reached the same conclusion I had. After building evidence in relation to my claim, I would then take it public.
First and foremost, the seminar broadened my knowledge in the work of Darwin and Wallace and the challenges they faced with data collection and beliefs which I was oblivious to.
Scientists are coming up with new findings every now and then which mean there are virtually no challenges like the era of Darwin and Wallace. If I should discover something ground breaking in my research work, I would repeat the experiment or the lab again just to make sure my facts are correct and then approach my faculty advisor. If he or she agrees with my new findings then we would take the necessary steps for publication but if my advisor debunks it, I would approach another faculty member or any known individual working in the same research area who can take a look at my work and then help me go public with my new findings if he/she agrees with it.
Hello, everyone! I, too, wanted to comment on how much I enjoyed the video we watched last Friday. One thing that amazed me was the persistence and resilience of Wallace, especially when considering the obstacles he had to overcome. As for the question, just like Anna said, I would try to proceed with caution too. The only thing I would worry about would be if my findings involved one of the more controversial topics in the United States today. For example, if I found overwhelming evidence that disagreed with the current scientific understanding of topics such as global warming, vaccinations, or the use of GMOs, I would be nervous to reveal my findings. I would fear that people would associate me with groups that I do not necessary want to be affiliated with. If the subject was this sensitive, I would share this information with trustworthy advisers, keep testing the hypothesis, collect as much data as I can, and then try to publish it. Having the help of others would be extremely valuable when it would come to defending our stance and protecting our reputations. Now if the issue was not controversial in nature, then I would not have any problems going against the current theories on the subject.
While I hoped that the film would cover the different theories of Darwin and Wallace with respect to how they difference from the prevailing theory at the time, the film was more concerned with the story of their life and with the drama and tension that came from their journeys. There was also little mention of Paley and Herschel, whose ideas influenced Darwin and which I believe was a force that helped push the use of deductive and deductive argument. But I digress.
Now to answer Erichs question, if I had made such a game changing discovery, I ensure that my data could be verified. I would make sure that there were no errors in the performed, and if I had the time and the funds, run them again to make sure. Now, if I was working under a PI, and not by myself, I would consult them. If they agreed with the conclusions I have drawn then I would ask to publish. If they did not agree with my conclusions, and said that my numbers were all wrong then i would hold off and check to see what could have been the problem.
However, if they didnt agree with conclusions but said nothing about my data, then I would ask if I could publish myself. It is our jobs as investigators to report, and report truthfully. If the data goes against the grain, and does not fit with the current political, social, or scientific climate, it is still our duty to share our findings.
The film we watched from last week was very interesting and informative. I also enjoyed watching it as I wasn't aware of all of the historical facts that went along with both of their discoveries.
As for responding to the question, I would take the approach of going over all of my findings and double-checking everything that I have done. I would then approach my advisor and discuss the discovery with them. Since the world is evolving in so many ways that includes the scientific field, I believe that change is something that most people have adjusted to and have accepted. Regardless of the outcome of the discovery, I think the scientific community would accept the findings because it would have made an impact on past theories that we follow now.
If I had an unusual scientific finding that contradicted the current scientific community my first response would probably be, assuming that I made a mistake somehow. I might share the discovery initially. However, I'd most likely run the experiment again and/or gather more data to be certain of my finding before sharing. In the end though I would end up sharing the data/finding. The scientific community today is far different than when Darwin was alive. Given accurate, certain, thorough data I'm sure they'd come to accept my finding if it was correct. I wouldn't need to worry, like Darwin did, about his career being ruined just because his initial hypothesis contradicted the scientific community of his time.
First off, I would like to say I was pleasantly surprised with my interest in the film. I have learned about Darwin's theories but I never realized that he had ground-breaking data and kept it secret for so many years to maintain his reputation. I never retained Wallace's contributions to the theory of natural selection, so I left seminar with new knowledge on his involvement.
To answer Erich's question, I often doubt myself so I would have to rework my study multiple times to ensure I didn't make an error. I feel as though I, like Darwin, would withhold the information until I was sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, it was undeniably true. With today's scientific research and how often new information is revealed, I highly doubt I would be holding my breath for 20 years! I would potentially share my finding(s) with someone of similar interests and work depending on my trust in their character.
I found the video series so informative, i was able to have a deeper understanding on the origin of species. Darwin kept his research secretly as he continued to search for tangible evidence at avoid controversy from what people knew that everything was created by God. He thus identified different species, He sort to know why different species are in different locations. He concluded that the more similar two species are the closer they live. Darwin also found that species are connected to each other like the branches of a tree hence he come up with the idea of the tree of life and that every species is a modified form of the older species so there was some form of gradual process taking. He then wanted wanted to know how long it took or a species to form. History then explains more compared to creation. Darwin's idea of keeping his research a secret was a good idea, inorder for him to gather all the required evidence, but then he would have shared with Wallace as someone he trusted so that they would work as a team towards achieving a particular goal. Thus from Erich's question for me its good to share my finding with someone i trust, work together as a team,collect data, find enough evidences before a publication to avoid controversies at the end.
As someone with a soft spot for history, I enjoyed the video. I like the 'what ifs,' like what if Wallace's ship and specimens weren't destroyed in a fire. The diversity natural selection and evolution leads to is amazing! It was insightful to learn some of the variables and factors Darwin and Wallace used to make logical steps to their conclusions.
After initial disbelief I would attempt to replicate my experiment to see if I would get similar results. If I could no longer ignore the evidence that suggest a new understanding of science I would reach out to other labs and other scientists to replicate the results. Ideally a respected scientist or laboratory would pick up the experiment to give validation to the novel idea, and give adequate proof to the scientific community. Even if I would lose credit, I would not mind because science is built on the work and knowledge of those before us.
I definitely enjoyed the video. It was interesting to find out that Wallace's ship caught fire and he lost all of his evidence...something I did not know up until now. It also poses the question to "well what if the ship made it? What if his specimens all made it?" I like Erich's question, as it brings everyone's own thoughts into the discussion.
If I discovered something that would completely change the scientific world, I would definitely recreate any/every experiment I had previously done, doing exactly the same thing I did before. This is also why it is important to write down every single detail of your work while performing experiments and taking down data. If my results were to come out the same, I would find one close colleague/friend to share this discovery with. After getting this second opinion, I would definitely share my work, and like Nathan said, with adequate proof.
Hello All!
ReplyDeleteIn our first week of content this semester, we watched the riveting short film titled The Origin of Species: The Making of a Theory. This video showcased the voyages of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace and how they independently came to the same revolutionary conclusions based on entirely separate data sets: species change over time by way of natural selection and give rise to new species.
Darwin tentatively came to these conclusions almost 20 years earlier then Wallace. However, these ideas directly contradicted the scientific community of the times. Darwin had a reputation to protect and shared his findings with only a select few.
Suppose YOU discovered something in your own data or one of our labs here, and this new conclusion would totally upend science as we know it; how would you approach these new findings? Who would you share them with? Would you share them at all?
First off, I wanted to say, I really enjoyed the film. I knew the broad idea of Darwin and his finches and some of Wallace, but not all of the history that was presented. So I found it very informative.
ReplyDeleteTo find something today challenging the established concepts of the world would be both terrifying and exciting. I believe Darwin and Wallace had larger hurdles to overcome in their time because of the church and established body of knowledge. Although, possibly less challenging in today's world, I personally would remain cautious of bringing forward new found information against established knowledge. I would much like Darwin and Wallace want to accumulate a mass amount of evidence supporting my claim. In addition, unlike Darwin, I would most likely present this information to a trusted colleague for their input and help justifying this claim or debunking it. I most likely would not share all of this information to see what kind of conclusions my colleague would form and if they reached the same conclusion I had. After building evidence in relation to my claim, I would then take it public.
First and foremost, the seminar broadened my knowledge in the work of Darwin and Wallace and the challenges they faced with data collection and beliefs which I was oblivious to.
ReplyDeleteScientists are coming up with new findings every now and then which mean there are virtually no challenges like the era of Darwin and Wallace. If I should discover something ground breaking in my research work, I would repeat the experiment or the lab again just to make sure my facts are correct and then approach my faculty advisor. If he or she agrees with my new findings then we would take the necessary steps for publication but if my advisor debunks it, I would approach another faculty member or any known individual working in the same research area who can take a look at my work and then help me go public with my new findings if he/she agrees with it.
Hello, everyone! I, too, wanted to comment on how much I enjoyed the video we watched last Friday. One thing that amazed me was the persistence and resilience of Wallace, especially when considering the obstacles he had to overcome.
ReplyDeleteAs for the question, just like Anna said, I would try to proceed with caution too. The only thing I would worry about would be if my findings involved one of the more controversial topics in the United States today. For example, if I found overwhelming evidence that disagreed with the current scientific understanding of topics such as global warming, vaccinations, or the use of GMOs, I would be nervous to reveal my findings. I would fear that people would associate me with groups that I do not necessary want to be affiliated with. If the subject was this sensitive, I would share this information with trustworthy advisers, keep testing the hypothesis, collect as much data as I can, and then try to publish it. Having the help of others would be extremely valuable when it would come to defending our stance and protecting our reputations.
Now if the issue was not controversial in nature, then I would not have any problems going against the current theories on the subject.
While I hoped that the film would cover the different theories of Darwin and Wallace with respect to how they difference from the prevailing theory at the time, the film was more concerned with the story of their life and with the drama and tension that came from their journeys. There was also little mention of Paley and Herschel, whose ideas influenced Darwin and which I believe was a force that helped push the use of deductive and deductive argument. But I digress.
ReplyDeleteNow to answer Erichs question, if I had made such a game changing discovery, I ensure that my data could be verified. I would make sure that there were no errors in the performed, and if I had the time and the funds, run them again to make sure. Now, if I was working under a PI, and not by myself, I would consult them. If they agreed with the conclusions I have drawn then I would ask to publish. If they did not agree with my conclusions, and said that my numbers were all wrong then i would hold off and check to see what could have been the problem.
However, if they didnt agree with conclusions but said nothing about my data, then I would ask if I could publish myself. It is our jobs as investigators to report, and report truthfully. If the data goes against the grain, and does not fit with the current political, social, or scientific climate, it is still our duty to share our findings.
The film we watched from last week was very interesting and informative. I also enjoyed watching it as I wasn't aware of all of the historical facts that went along with both of their discoveries.
ReplyDeleteAs for responding to the question, I would take the approach of going over all of my findings and double-checking everything that I have done. I would then approach my advisor and discuss the discovery with them. Since the world is evolving in so many ways that includes the scientific field, I believe that change is something that most people have adjusted to and have accepted. Regardless of the outcome of the discovery, I think the scientific community would accept the findings because it would have made an impact on past theories that we follow now.
If I had an unusual scientific finding that contradicted the current scientific community my first response would probably be, assuming that I made a mistake somehow. I might share the discovery initially. However, I'd most likely run the experiment again and/or gather more data to be certain of my finding before sharing. In the end though I would end up sharing the data/finding. The scientific community today is far different than when Darwin was alive. Given accurate, certain, thorough data I'm sure they'd come to accept my finding if it was correct. I wouldn't need to worry, like Darwin did, about his career being ruined just because his initial hypothesis contradicted the scientific community of his time.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I would like to say I was pleasantly surprised with my interest in the film. I have learned about Darwin's theories but I never realized that he had ground-breaking data and kept it secret for so many years to maintain his reputation. I never retained Wallace's contributions to the theory of natural selection, so I left seminar with new knowledge on his involvement.
ReplyDeleteTo answer Erich's question, I often doubt myself so I would have to rework my study multiple times to ensure I didn't make an error. I feel as though I, like Darwin, would withhold the information until I was sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, it was undeniably true. With today's scientific research and how often new information is revealed, I highly doubt I would be holding my breath for 20 years! I would potentially share my finding(s) with someone of similar interests and work depending on my trust in their character.
I found the video series so informative, i was able to have a deeper understanding on the origin of species. Darwin kept his research secretly as he continued to search for tangible evidence at avoid controversy from what people knew that everything was created by God. He thus identified different species, He sort to know why different species are in different locations. He concluded that the more similar two species are the closer they live. Darwin also found that species are connected to each other like the branches of a tree hence he come up with the idea of the tree of life and that every species is a modified form of the older species so there was some form of gradual process taking. He then wanted wanted to know how long it took or a species to form. History then explains more compared to creation. Darwin's idea of keeping his research a secret was a good idea, inorder for him to gather all the required evidence, but then he would have shared with Wallace as someone he trusted so that they would work as a team towards achieving a particular goal.
ReplyDeleteThus from Erich's question for me its good to share my finding with someone i trust, work together as a team,collect data, find enough evidences before a publication to avoid controversies at the end.
As someone with a soft spot for history, I enjoyed the video. I like the 'what ifs,' like what if Wallace's ship and specimens weren't destroyed in a fire. The diversity natural selection and evolution leads to is amazing! It was insightful to learn some of the variables and factors Darwin and Wallace used to make logical steps to their conclusions.
ReplyDeleteAfter initial disbelief I would attempt to replicate my experiment to see if I would get similar results. If I could no longer ignore the evidence that suggest a new understanding of science I would reach out to other labs and other scientists to replicate the results. Ideally a respected scientist or laboratory would pick up the experiment to give validation to the novel idea, and give adequate proof to the scientific community. Even if I would lose credit, I would not mind because science is built on the work and knowledge of those before us.
I definitely enjoyed the video.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to find out that Wallace's ship caught fire and he lost all of his evidence...something I did not know up until now. It also poses the question to "well what if the ship made it? What if his specimens all made it?"
I like Erich's question, as it brings everyone's own thoughts into the discussion.
If I discovered something that would completely change the scientific world, I would definitely recreate any/every experiment I had previously done, doing exactly the same thing I did before. This is also why it is important to write down every single detail of your work while performing experiments and taking down data. If my results were to come out the same, I would find one close colleague/friend to share this discovery with. After getting this second opinion, I would definitely share my work, and like Nathan said, with adequate proof.