BIOL398-05/S17:Class Journal Week 1

Lauren M. Kelly: Reflection Questions

Lauren M. Kelly

Before

Stewart

1. When you hear the term mathematics, what comes to mind?

When I hear the term mathematics, I think of numbers, symbols, and complicated formulas. While I remember the times I struggled in geometry, I also remember enjoying calculus. Mathematics, in my mind, is associated with being difficult and time consuming.

1. Do you consider yourself a mathematician? why or why not?

I do not consider myself a mathematician. I rarely use math in my daily life (besides this class), and I feel that I simply do not know enough about math to consider myself to be at the level of mastery that true mathematicians are at.

Janovy

1. When you hear the term biology, what comes to mind?

When I hear the term biology, I think of the plants, animals, and everything in between that live on earth. It is the study of life and an incredibly diverse subject with many different subdivisions.

1. Do you consider yourself a biologist? why or why not?

In some ways I consider myself a biologist, but I know I still have a long way to go until I can call myself a true biologist. I hope to one day be working as a research scientist. Through my experiences gathering data and writing papers in lab I think that I am a growing biologist. I also have the curiosity and love of investigation that is inherent in most biologists.

After

1. What did you find most interesting or provocative about the Stewart reading?
2. What did you find most interesting or provocative about the Janovy reading?
3. What does it mean to be a biologist? Do you consider yourself a biologist? Why or why not?
4. What does it mean to be a mathematician? Do you consider yourself a mathematician? Why or why not?
5. What are the similarities and differences between the two readings?

Please feel free to read and respond to your classmates' answers.

Lauren M. Kelly 16:51, 15 January 2017 (EST)

Cameron M. Rehmani Seraji: Reflection Questions

Cameron M. Rehmani Seraji

Before

Stewart

1. When I hear the term mathematics, I think of numbers, variables, formulas, and problem solving. I thoroughly enjoyed taking Calculus in high and school and as a freshman in college. I think mathematics is a subject that teaches people how to problem solve and deal with problems better.
2. I do not consider myself a mathematician. I have not done that much math problem solving since the last time I took Calculus and I do not use that much math, other than addition and subtraction, in my regular life.

Janovy

1. When I hear the term biology, i think of the study of life and living organisms and specifically focuses on their structures, functions, growth, and interactions.
2. I would consider myself a biologist because I am a biology major and I have spent many hours in lecture and in lab studying the many different components that make up and affect life.

After

1. The thing I found most interesting from the Stewart reading is mathematics is the underlying principle that plays a role in almost all areas of life. People use math everyday to determine how much time they have to do something, how much money they are going to get paid at work, and how much a certain thing will cost them.
2. The thing I found most provocative from the Janovy reading is the idea that we have learned so much about biology over the last 100 years, but there are still so many things that we do not know about and it will be exciting to see what we discover over the next 100 years.
3. To be a biologist means to not be restricted to making observations and interpretations in a classroom, but should focus on using the real world to learn. I think I am a biologist because everyday I make observations and interpretations about the world around me.
4. A mathematician can be a scientists, engineer, computer programmer, accountant, etc. To be a mathematician you must have great skills at mathematics. I think I am a mathematician because I use math everyday analyzing statistics from experiments, measuring out volumes in organic chemistry lab, deciding how much time I have to get to class, and many other things.
5. One similarity between the Stewart reading and the Janovy reading is they both show how their field is applicable to most people's everyday lives. Biology and mathematics are all around us and can be factors in our decision making. One difference between the two readings is the Stewart reading focuses on mathematics and how it is applicable to our lives while the Janovy reading focuses on biology and how it is applicable to our lives.

• Cameron M. Rehmani Seraji 22:09, 18 January 2017 (EST):

Conor Keith: Reflection Questions

Conor Keith

Before

Stewart

1. When I hear the term mathematics, I immediately think of images of graphs of functions. I have always embraced the visual side of mathematics and find topics easier to grasp when I can think about them visually.
2. I do consider myself to be a mathematician, as mathematics is a language I use daily. The research I perform and the classes I take are all based in math. Math is "the language of economics," and it is nearly impossible to read through a Economics Journal without a solid mathematical foundation.

Janovy

1. When I hear the term biology, I think of cells, DNA, RNA, plants, animals, and life in general. I consider biology to be the study of all living things.
2. I don't consider myself to be a biologist. My knowledge of biology is limited to the introductory general biology classes I took at LMU. I have not performed any biology research outside of lab, so I consider myself a biology neophyte.

After

1. I found Stewart’s assertion that, “Hiding the math away makes us feel comfortable, but it devalues mathematics” intriguing. I have always thought mathematics is misunderstood as a discipline. Most people don’t realize mathematics is the foundation of other important disciplines like physics, economics, and engineering. When I tell someone that I study mathematics, I often get asked if I want to be a teacher, as If that is the only options mathematicians have. When I tell people I study both mathematics and economics, they assume that the two disciplines are completely unrelated. Putting red labels on everything that read “Math inside” may not be such a bad idea.
2. I found Janovy’s story about selling tickets at a J.V. high school volleyball game to be the most provocative part of the reading. The fact that people have trouble viewing researchers as productive members of society is disappointing. I understand that the average person may have a tough time understanding the significance of studying Neotropical frogs, but I attribute this to a fundamental lack of scientific literacy. If the general population had a better understanding of biology, they might realize the importance of scientific research. I have always had an interest in research, and there have been numerous times where I had to be an apologist for people who perform economics research. Janovy goes on to defend her colleague and the importance of his work, and she does so in a very convincing way.
3. According to Janovy’s “broad and tolerant view” of the field of biology, a biologist is someone who makes some original observations of nature and turns them into a synthesis of understanding. By her definition I would be a biologist. I think I could be considered a biologist in the mildest sense. I am fascinated by the natural world and I believe I do make some original observations. My work in economics can and mathematics can at times overlap with the field of biology.
4. There is not a universal definition for what a mathematician is. In my opinion, a mathematician is any person who has knowledge of mathematics and uses this knowledge often in their life. Under this loses definition, I would consider myself a mathematician. I use mathematics constantly, both inside and outside of class. Mathematics is the foundation of the research I do, and I see math on display often in the world around me. When I read news articles about things like space and technology, the first thing that comes to mind is the mathematics behind them.
5. Both authors base their writings heavily on personal experience, and share numerous anecdotes from their daily lives to prove their points. Both authors offer insight into things about their fields that may not be apparent to the average person. The key difference between the two is that Janovy appears to be more critical of her field, while Stewart focuses on the positive aspects of studying mathematics.

Conor Keith 22:11, 18 January 2017 (EST)