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 processes.

Post-Reading Questions

1. The purpose of these readings was for us to think more deeply about what computer science and biology are.
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. I also disagree with the notion that a biologist has a set of values as well. I don't see how it's necessary to respect or see the wonder of life to study it.
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. (I am aware that this did not change much, that is largely because I disagree with Janovy's defining features of a biologist.)

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:

1. The purpose of these readings was to introduce the bigger picture of these two areas of study. This clarified any misconceptions and showed their unifying qualities to the readers.
2. Surprisingly, the programmer appealed to me the most. I liked the sense of creativity and excitement for the work that was voiced in this section. It presented some qualities that I did not expect to play such an important role in programming.
3. The principle of Search/Automation can be applied to many aspects of daily life. People tend to look for connections in life, even if they seem obscure or unrelated. For example, many pieces of art allude to very different ideas than their actual context shows at a first glance. This shows the connections of seemingly unrelated subject matter to give it greater meaning.
4. I found his ideas of being a biologist rather than doing biology very interesting. I also found his discussion about one's own values influencing one's career in biology to be very relatable.
5. Yes, I consider myself a biologist because I have always had a fascination with how the natural world works and how we fit into it. I also know that this will not cease just because of my future choice of profession.

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)

Kevin McGee

Denning Pre-questions

1. When I think of computer science, I think of the language and process of imputing a command, and having a computer do that command.
2. I feel that many older people have a very limited idea of what computer science is.
3. When younger people think of computer science, they probably think of making websites or using social media.

Janovy Pre-Questions

1. When I think of Biology, I think of the broad study and observation of life.
2. I consider myself a biologist to an extent. This is because while there are many areas of biology that interest me, there is also parts of biology that I am not interested in. Since biology is a broad category, I feel like a cannot consider myself purely a biologist.

Post Reading

1. These readings are designed to encourage young students to enter the fields of biology and computer
2. Biology spoke to me the most. I am actually very interested in dealing with computers and studying DNA after college.
3. An example of a bottleneck is a DUI checkpoint. Police slow down traffic to evaluate whether or not a driver has been drinking.
4. I specifically found the part where he talks about post World War II science to be very interesting. He talks about how it brings questions up that we have not had to ask before. This makes me excited for the future of science and where it will take us.
5. I do consider myself a biologist. I am, like the Janovy, fascinated with the world around me. I specifically find the aquatic world fascinating. Even if I do not go into this field after college, I know that I will always carry this fascination with the world with me forever.Kevinmcgee (talk) 14:19, 29 August 2013 (PDT)

Gabriel Leis

Denning Pre-questions

1. When I hear the term computer science I initially think "uh oh" before recalling my work experience at Hewlett Packard where I learned some basic computer science
2. My parents, upon hearing the words computer science, think deeply before settling their thoughts on their mac computer.
3. When my younger sister hears computer science, I'm sure her first thought is "I hate science and do not understand computers. Ew."

Janovy Pre-Questions

1. When I hear the term Biology I think immediately about my freshman biology lab.
2. I consider myself a biologist because I frequently wonder about and reflect upon the natural world around me.

Post-Reading Questions

1. The purpose of these readings is to provide a deeper perspective into the goals of this course. In particular that biology and computer science go hand in hand in the modern science world and are often inseparable in todays research.
2. The voice of the scientist certainly appeals to me most. I find the similarities between computers and living organisms fascinating. I am also very optimistic about the use of computers to advance natural science disciplines in the future.
3. In language, the use of acronyms acts like compression in computing. As a more modern example, texting language is a compressed form of more formal language for the purposes of speed and reduced information volume.
4. The most provocative portion of Janovys writing was his reflection on the interaction of biology and philosophy. Janovy notes that, inevitably, the study of biology leads to the conclusion that the human species is capable of exhausting the natural resources provided by the Earth that may be unreplaceable.
5. According to Janovy a biologist is someone who takes new observations of nature and comes to a greater understanding through these observations. I do not consider myself a biologist because my observations of nature are not novel nor do I feel that I synthesized new understanding of the natural world through my observations.

Gleis (talk) 17:51, 29 August 2013 (PDT)

Lena Hunt

Before Reading the Denning articles:

1. When I hear the term computer science I think of a bunch of nerds in a dark room doing programming. Programming what? I have no idea. I have been hearing on the news that a Syrian has been shutting down American websites, like the New York Times site. I guess they are computer programmers.
2. I don’t think my grandparents would have any idea, they barely know what a computer is. I think my older friends would probably think of hackers, or people who program things for the military, not day to day computer science.
3. My younger relatives and friends might have a better idea. Now they are giving laptops to the students at my old high school, so maybe they are learning some computer science and computer science applications.

Before reading the Janovy chapter:

1. When I hear the term biology, I think of ecologists deep in the jungle collecting samples, or of animal behaviorists watching primate interactions. It’s a bit romanticized, but it is what I imagine when I decided I wanted to be a biologist.
2. I do consider myself a biologist. Biologists study life, and I am always looking at my surroundings and trying to figure out why plants grow a certain way, or why some animals are more prevalent than others on campus.