HUM 177A/B
Area R Earth & Environment REVISED - April, 2014
The readings for HUM 177A/B begin with theories of evolution that offer explanations
of the origin of human and other species. This material will offer a broad framework for
introducing multiple hypotheses to explain species development and change. We may
claim that science is a set of standardized methods created to test hypotheses, which
can lead to the formulation of theories. In contradistinction to this process, students
will also be introduced to the ways in which errors in method, hypothesis formulation,
subject selection and more can yield what has come to be called pseudo-science. What
makes hypotheses testable, attention to precision, and care in data gathering will all be
explained as foundational to the pursuit of science.
The experimental focus for this course is an experiment to observe how Argentine ant
trail networks expand. The protocol was devised by Deborah M. Gordon, PhD of
Stanford University, as a part of her ongoing research into the development of
networks, how organizations work, and especially how different parts of the
organization interact. Colonies do not have central control, yet the components of the
colonies interact to function organizationally. Some of the questions to be explored are:
How does a colony manage task allocation? How do ants manage to adjust to the
changing needs due to conditions that change due to weather, or other alterations? I
have attached a copy of an earlier version of Prof. Gordon’s protocol for the
experiment; our plan is to begin the experiment in the fall, early October. Please see
more about the research of Prof. Gordon by viewing her TED talk at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukS4UjCauUs
The significance of scientific understanding expands beyond careful measurement and
the possibility of falsifiability to the greater import of investigation and experimentation
in society. While the aim of scientific investigation may be to be value-neutral, the
greater good of society is a value-laden arbiter of what is and is not permissible in the
realm of scientific experimentation. Issues of experimentation on unprotected
populations, development of technologies that destabilize natural environments, and
broadly, answering the question, “if we can, why shouldn’t we?” are important
applications of critical thinking to questions about the earth and environment.
Within the particular scientific content of the course, a student should be able to:
SLO 1: demonstrate an understanding of the methods and limits of scientific
investigation. The experimental project we will use will investigate how Argentine ant
colonies add to the network of trails and nests. It is not known whether a colony is more
likely to expand to reach a food source or a new nest. The experiment will test whether
a new trail is more likely to form in response to a food-bait or to a new nest site. The
experiment is very specific as to the objective of observation and data gathering to
contribute to information about ant colony networks.
SLO 2: distinguish science from pseudo-science By specifically exploring the multiple
theories off evolution at the beginning of the course, students will be able to distinguish
between varieties of scientific theories and how they might be falsifiable, and
distinguish them from flawed applications of scientific method such as generalizing from
individual instances to groups, failure to be able to measure relevantly, and
transforming value-neutral observations into evaluations of groups within populations.
Social Darwinism will be offered as an example of pseudo-science that was generated
from misunderstandings and misapplications of certain aspects of theories of evolution.
SLO 3: apply a scientific approach to answer questions about the earth and
environment. In several contexts, students will learn about the social significance of
scientific pursuits. From the developments in electricity and eventually quantum
mechanics to the discovery of the structure of DNA and the formulation of the DSM in
psychology students will be able to recognize what constitutes scientific approaches to
understanding. More specifically, because of the activities involved with their own
scientific experimentation in the environment, they will be able to adapt and apply
methodologies from one learning context to new situations to explore issues with
insight, and originality. It is likely that the organizational behaviors of ants in their
experiment will be recognized as offering insights into more complex organizational
arrangements in human communities, both small- and large-scale, local to global.