Inventing with hypotheses

writ 1133

writ 1133

Imagine that the computer had never been invented.

How would higher education be better off, worse off, or otherwise different?

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Inventing with hypotheses

writ 1133

Imagine that the computer had never been invented.

How would higher education be better off, worse off, or otherwise different?

Why do you believe that? . . . hyp

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Inventing with hypotheses

writ 1133

Imagine that the computer had never been invented.

How would higher education be better off, worse off, or otherwise different?

Why do you believe that?

How could you prove this?

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Inventing with hypotheses

writ 1133

hyp

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Inventing with hypotheses

Rene Descartes

writ 1133

A hypothesis is an empirically falsifiable explanation of observable phenomena.

For example:

WRIT students will go on to achieve academic success, because they are very bright and very hardworking.

WRIT students will go on to achieve academic success, because I am the greatest teacher who ever lived.

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Inventing with hypotheses

writ 1133

A hypothesis is an argument: It is made up of (at least) two assertions: a debatable claim + a reason or reasons for believing the claim.

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Inventing with hypotheses

claimWRIT students will go on to achieve academic success

a reasonBecause they are very bright and very hardworking

writ 1133

A hypothesis is an argument: It is made up of (at least) two assertions: a debatable claim + a reason or reasons for believing the claim.

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oth

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Inventing with hypotheses

claimWRIT students will go on to achieve academic success

a different reasonBecause I am the greatest teacher who ever lived

writ 1133

To say that a hypothesis is “falsifiable” means it can be shown to be false.

These statements are falsifiable:

The sun will rise again tomorrow, because it (the sun) revolves from east to west around the earth.

The sun will rise again tomorrow, because the earth, which revolves around the sun, makes a complete easterly rotation on its axis once every 24 hours.

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Inventing with hypotheses

writ 1133

To say that a hypothesis is “falsifiable” means it can be shown to be false.

However, this statement is not falsifiable:

The sun will rise again tomorrow, because Mother Nature wills it. fa

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Inventing with hypotheses