First meeting a success. 11 students from 8 different labs discussed many things, such as:
1. Purpose of the cafe: to create cross-talk between labs (both theoretical and not)
2. Comparison of the mathematical method and the scientific method: one before the other? one within the other? parallels, differences, etc.
3. Role of models: predictions? logical consistency of hypotheses? can they prove hypotheses? or just disprove? (with an example from HIV)
4. Model fitting: can we create any darn pattern we wish?
We also discussed future plans: a) bring your biological system and we’ll try and turn it into math (see Oct. 28 post), b) Mehdi Cherif leading an example of how to build a model (stoichiometry), and c) how to test models, success in predicting future (examples anyone?), Popper.
Hope to see you at the next meeting (Nov. 14, 11am, W3/18 Stewart). More details to come.
Matt & Magnus
Eco-Theoretic Cafe 