BIOLOGY 116 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Human Brain, Molecular Clock, Pseudoscience
Document Summary
We assume that reality exists and we are able to perceive it (the world existed before we did) We assume that reality is independent of belief, so anyone can investigate it. Our investigations assume that the natural world exhibits understandable patterns and that our results will converge. These patterns can be acted upon; we can both test our understanding of these patterns, and build on them (technology) Fundamental feature of science: testability + conjectures can potentially be falsified. What are the sources of the data. Study evaluated a prediction that exposure to male hormones (testosterone) in womb influences penis size in adults. Results showed that stretched penis length (good estimate of erect penis length) is statistically significantly correlated with digit ratio. Note the variation (scattered), which would make a prediction of any particular male"s penis length problematic (length vs digit ratio all over the place) Consilience: data taken from several independent sources are the best evidence for hypothesis.
