BIO 301D Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Null Model, Herbalism, Falsifiability
Document Summary
Bio 301d language and concepts continued 3. 2. Any model that"s taken seriously must be falsifiable: we can imagine data that would refute model to be falsifiable we must be able to imagine data that i)could possibly be obtained, would refute the model. Any study needs to decide how to start: what models to use two main approaches. Null model: neutral or widely accepted starting point. You agree to accept this model until you (can) reject it. Fda and food additives/new drugs = substance is harmful until proven. In court (criminal trial) = innocent till proven guilty is the null model. In a coin flip, p[heads] = . 5 is the null model safe is the null model. Herbal remedies = safe until proven harmful is the null model. No stro(cid:374)g (cid:858)(cid:271)ias(cid:859) to(cid:449)ard a(cid:374)y particular model and they are given equal status; the data then indicate levels of support for each of them: no data can reject all alternative models.
