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K. Smythe's picture

Reflecting

     Coming into this course I didn't know what to expect.  I suppose i figured it would simply be an overview of what we had already learned or a review of interesting literature in a journal club format.  What I found was much different and in a way more helpful and enlightening than what I had expected.  Maybe it was due to the members of the class or the professors or a combination of the two but I found as we had discussions in class that we were having serious and legitimate conversation and debate about topics I didn't really think there was too much to debate about.  Albeit sometimes I and I'm sure others in the class, were stuck in our ways and didn't have too much tolerance for these new sides of discussions, to me it was interesting to see that in fact there was another side and that what I accept as accepted science is not always as accepted as I think (or alternatively it is sometime too accepted).

         I also really liked how the class was oriented around topics that we chose and thus were of interest to us.  Because we were able to choose our own topics unrestricted I think that the presentations were much more interesting.  It was also nice to have everyone with a background in the material so that we didn't have to spend time every class hashing over mechanisms and concepts we already understood.  The discussion format is also nice and something we don't always get to do in sciences with the exception of surrounding a particular article.  It was interesting to look at neurology and behavior from so many sides and from people who were clearly passionate about the subjects. 

       I don't think there was a single topic that I found most interesting during this class.  The things I feel I will take from this class are more about discussion and the truth, or lack thereof, behind science.  It seems that we can challenge almost every scientific "assertion" and after this class I hope that I will do this more throughout my education.  I also think that as was mentioned by others this class has also allowed me to think about the value of personal anecdotes and observations outside of scientific experimentation in creating hypothesis and scientific "truths".  I think that there is a fine line as to how and when these are appropriate, however I think I have been convinced that there may be some place for them.  Though I'm not sure that we can draw conclusions from them I think this class had made me realize that they are the starting point of most research and the basis for what we know as scientific assertion.

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