Episode 026: COVID-19 (Coronavirus), Scientific Method, & Hypothesis Testing (Student Reflection #5)

Summary: This episode is the fifth in a series of episodes where Dr. Brown's college students were asked to reflect on the importance of having a basic understanding of the scientific method and hypothesis testing in understanding today's COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. If a person does not currently possess such a scientific understanding, is it their duty to acquire this knowledge? No politics, no spin, no editing... just authentic scientific reflection and education at work. Listen to see what my students have to say! Below is the prompt my students were given in constructing their responses: Based on what you learned from the materials provided in class and from your prior knowledge, please answer all the below questions in regard to the current social distancing measures that almost all citizens in the USA (and the world) are currently being asked to follow because of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) epidemic. - What is the null hypothesis in this situation? - What is the alternative hypothesis that is being proposed? - What is the independent variable in this experiment? - What are some dependent variables? (certainly there are more than one that will be measured… list at least three… be specific) - What are some standardized variables? - Predicting ahead, what would the data have to look like in the end for us to reject the null hypothesis? (and accept the alternative hypothesis as a tentative truth) (What assumptions would we likely have to make in this situation?) - Predicting ahead, what would the data have to look like in the end for us to fail to reject our null hypothesis? (What assumptions would we likely have to make in this situation?) - Why is having a basic understanding of the scientific method and hypothesis testing important for you during this COVID-19 (coronavirus) time? Do you have a duty as a citizen of the world to acquire these basic understandings? (These are open-ended questions, so please answer them in a manner that resonates with you. Say what you really believe, not what you think I want you to say. Be specific. Apply it to your life right now. Please don’t get political – just answer the questions as they apply to you.) Notes: - Intro Music: freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rose…_For_Podcasts/ “Let’s Start at the Beginning” & “Glass Android” - Student Voice: Sebastian - Learn more about Dr. Brown at www.ericbrownphd.com/