Week 2 questions

Reflection on Work

What was the purpose of this assignment?
- To understand the math behind the chemostat and improve our MATLAB skills.

What aspect of this assignment came most easily to you?
- Understanding the math and biology of the chemostat.

What aspect of this assignment was the most challenging for you?
- Doing anything in MATLAB I do not understand it other than the most basic things shown in the tutorial. Working with the computer, I do not like computers and I really very much do not enjoy writing code and working with computer programs.

What distinction does Lander draw between modeling to "discover new knowledge" and modeling for "understanding"?
- Lander clearly favors modeling with the purpose of understanding, and comments on how it is seen as trivial when compared to the discovery of new knowledge. While discovery of new knowledge is finding bits and pieces of information accepted as "facts", truly understanding includes taking those facts and connecting them to other knowledge (the metaphor of the hairball, the nodes would be facts while the edges are understanding).

Which point of view resonates with you more?
- I find that I get more out of understanding then I do out of straight facts. Knowing the facts is great, but without the anchor of understanding, facts will quickly exit one's memory. I know this from experience. I remember biological processes much better when I actually understand them for example, I really understand the Krebbs cycle because I can draw it out and explain every part of it, not just because I have memorized the diagram.

Kevin Matthew McKay 22:39, 23 January 2013 (EST)

What distinction does Lander draw between modeling to "discover new knowledge" and modeling for "understanding"?
- Lander states that discovering new facts, while it can be exciting, is much different than actually understanding what you are presented with. He clearly favors modeling for understanding, and claims that the majority of biologists would feel the same. He says that there will always be a need for models for understanding, and the notion that models can only be used to make predictions is not entirely correct. It is with all of the models that understanding can be found.
Which point of view resonates with you more? Why?
- I found that the models for understanding resonate more with me. There is much more to learning than just memorizing facts. Especially in math and biology since they are subjects that constantly build upon each other, having an understanding it necessary. In order to be able to correctly explain biological systems, or even some mathematical problem solving techniques, an understanding of the process and/or model that goes with it is going to be much more beneficial.