The Scientific Process in Popular Culture

Transcription

1 Communication in Computer Science The Scientific Process in Popular Culture Olivier Danvy version of 22 Nov 2015 at 11:00 Olivier Danvy, / 24

2 Our goal this afternoon Olivier Danvy, / 24

3 Our goal this afternoon 1: I briefly present the scientific process Olivier Danvy, / 24

4 Our goal this afternoon 1: I briefly present the scientific process 2: I identify its rendition in The Imitation Game Olivier Danvy, / 24

5 Our goal this afternoon 1: I briefly present the scientific process 2: I identify its rendition in The Imitation Game 3: You search for other renditions in a movie, a book, a graphic novel, etc. Olivier Danvy, / 24

6 Our goal this afternoon 1: I briefly present the scientific process 2: I identify its rendition in The Imitation Game 3: You search for other renditions in a movie, a book, a graphic novel, etc. 4: You prepare and give a quick talk about a rendition you find interesting Olivier Danvy, / 24

7 Why it s going to work Olivier Danvy, / 24

8 Why it s going to work We will talk about the scientific process Olivier Danvy, / 24

9 Why it s going to work We will talk about the scientific process but not in your own PhD activities, Olivier Danvy, / 24

10 Why it s going to work We will talk about the scientific process but not in your own PhD activities, somewhere else safe, in popular medias Olivier Danvy, / 24

11 Why it s going to work We will talk about the scientific process but not in your own PhD activities, somewhere else safe, in popular medias to have an interesting conversation about it. Olivier Danvy, / 24

12 Why it s going to work We will talk about the scientific process but not in your own PhD activities, somewhere else safe, in popular medias to have an interesting conversation about it. Bring your own context. Joss Whedon (well, almost) Olivier Danvy, / 24

13 An extra reason why it s going to work This seminar is for you and about you, not for me and about me. Olivier Danvy, / 24

14 An extra reason why it s going to work This seminar is for you and about you, not for me and about me. Example: a secretary s first course about html. Olivier Danvy, / 24

15 An extra reason why it s going to work This seminar is for you and about you, not for me and about me. So: 30mn for me, 45mn for you, and 45mn for you. Olivier Danvy, / 24

16 The pitfall action vs. actor ball vs. player object vs. subject Olivier Danvy, / 24

17 The pitfall action vs. actor ball vs. player object vs. subject A short story is about a murder. A novel is about the murderer. Philip K. Dick Olivier Danvy, / 24

18 Here: scientific process vs. scientist Olivier Danvy, / 24

19 Here: scientific process vs. scientist the mad scientist the evil scientist Olivier Danvy, / 24

20 Here: scientific process vs. scientist the mad scientist the evil scientist the daughter of the old scientist the young scientist Olivier Danvy, / 24

21 Here: scientific process vs. scientist the mad scientist the evil scientist the daughter of the old scientist the young scientist (he is after the daughter of the old scientist) Olivier Danvy, / 24

22 Here: scientific process vs. scientist the mad scientist the evil scientist the daughter of the old scientist the young scientist (he is after the daughter of the old scientist) etc. Olivier Danvy, / 24

23 In movies: Typical examples of scientists James Bond (they want to destroy the world) Olivier Danvy, / 24

24 Typical examples of scientists In movies: James Bond (they want to destroy the world) Independence Day (they are locked up ) in Area Olivier Danvy, / 24

25 Typical examples of scientists In movies: James Bond (they want to destroy the world) Independence Day (they are locked up ) E.T. (they want to dissect E.T.!) in Area Olivier Danvy, / 24

26 Typical examples of scientists In movies: James Bond (they want to destroy the world) Independence Day (they are locked up) E.T. (they want to dissect E.T.!) Eureka Marshall Jack Carter: Area 51 is real? Henry Deacon [nodding vigorously]: No. Olivier Danvy, / 24

27 Typical examples of scientists In movies: James Bond (they want to destroy the world) Independence Day (they are locked up) E.T. (they want to dissect E.T.!) Eureka etc. Olivier Danvy, / 24

28 The Imitation Game Two aspects are nicely rendered: T.T.T. (Piet Hein) supersaturation Olivier Danvy, / 24

29 Put up in a place Where it s easy to see The cryptic admonishment T.T.T. When you feel how depressingly slowly you climb, it s well to remember that Things Take Time! Olivier Danvy, / 24

30 T.T.T. in The Imitation Game Setting up the experiment takes time. Olivier Danvy, / 24

31 T.T.T. in The Imitation Game Setting up the experiment takes time. The experiment takes time. Olivier Danvy, / 24

32 T.T.T. in The Imitation Game Setting up the experiment takes time. The experiment takes time. Management vs. Turing. ( Prof. Turing, we demand you solve this halting problem. ) Olivier Danvy, / 24

33 T.T.T. in The Imitation Game Setting up the experiment takes time. The experiment takes time. Management vs. Turing. ( Prof. Turing, we demand you solve this halting problem. ) I never worry about action, only about inaction. Winston Churchill Olivier Danvy, / 24

34 Supersaturation in The Imitation Game Turing immerses himself in the problem. He is receptive to the smallest input (name of German girlfriend, Heil Hitler ). He runs back to his lab. Inspiration exists, but it must find you working. Pablo Picasso Olivier Danvy, / 24

35 About immersing oneself in a problem heap of knowledge + change of perspective the mind clicks Olivier Danvy, / 24

36 About immersing oneself in a problem heap of knowledge + change of perspective the mind clicks Genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. Thomas Edison Olivier Danvy, / 24

37 Your exercise Find a movie / book / etc. that illustrates an aspect (any aspect) of the scientific process. Olivier Danvy, / 24

38 In natural science The scientific process: observation, hypothesis, and experiment. Olivier Danvy, / 24

39 In natural science The scientific process: observation, hypothesis, and experiment. Experiments should be reproducible. Olivier Danvy, / 24

40 In natural science The scientific process: observation, hypothesis, and experiment. Experiments should be reproducible. (by, guess whom, Olivier Danvy, / 24

41 In natural science The scientific process: observation, hypothesis, and experiment. Experiments should be reproducible. (by, guess whom, yes, peer reviewers) Olivier Danvy, / 24

42 The art of the possible The engineering process: Design a computer network that is resilient to single-point failure. Out of scope here. Olivier Danvy, / 24

43 A broad distinction Deductive: The corpse is on the table. How did the person die? Inductive: Find something that makes sense out of finitely many observations. Olivier Danvy, / 24

44 The first inkling Hey, that s funny... (Asimov) Hum, something doesn t fit. (Tycho Brahe) Olivier Danvy, / 24

45 The moment Eureka! (Archimedes) The apple (Newton) An oddity (H. C. Ørsted) Olivier Danvy, / 24

46 A huge pitfall: prejudices If you look for something, you are likely to find it. Niels Steno You must not fool yourself. However, you are the easiest person to fool. Richard Feynman Olivier Danvy, / 24

47 Concrete example A long time ago, in a country far, far away, a university changed its logo. It commissioned a survey as a student assignment that it gave to a visiting student. Subsequently, the student was interviewed in the University weekly newspaper. Olivier Danvy, / 24

48 The interview I am not surprised by the figures. Olivier Danvy, / 24

49 The interview I am not surprised by the figures. Before starting my assignment, I asked my friends and fellow students what they thought of the new logo, Olivier Danvy, / 24

50 The interview I am not surprised by the figures. Before starting my assignment, I asked my friends and fellow students what they thought of the new logo, and the answers I received in my survey were more or less the same great [...]. Olivier Danvy, / 24

51 The interview I am not surprised by the figures. Before starting my assignment, I asked my friends and fellow students what they thought of the new logo, and the answers I received in my survey were more or less the same great [...]. So no I m not surprised at all. Olivier Danvy, / 24

52 Neutrality? I am not surprised by the figures. Before starting my assignment, I asked my friends and fellow students what they thought of the new logo, and the answers I received in my survey were more or less the same great [...]. So no I m not surprised at all. Olivier Danvy, / 24

53 Bias I am not surprised by the figures. Before starting my assignment, I asked my friends and fellow students what they thought of the new logo, and the answers I received in my survey were more or less the same great [...]. So no I m not surprised at all. Olivier Danvy, / 24

54 Ego I am not surprised by the figures. Before starting my assignment, I asked my friends and fellow students what they thought of the new logo, and the answers I received in my survey were more or less the same great [...]. So no I m not surprised at all. Olivier Danvy, / 24

55 Mission accomplished: prejudices confirmed I am not surprised by the figures. Before starting my assignment, I asked my friends and fellow students what they thought of the new logo, and the answers I received in my survey were more or less the same great [...]. So no I m not surprised at all. You are the easiest person to fool... Olivier Danvy, / 24

56 The symmetric pitfall: ignorance The Enigma machine: Who developed it in the first place? To which end? How did it end up being used by the Nazis? Did it have other weaknesses than the ones exploited by Turing? Olivier Danvy, / 24

57 References (essays) Cargo Cult Science (Richard Feynman) The Relativity of Wrong (Isaac Asimov) Olivier Danvy, / 24

58 References (books) Bellwether (Connie Willis) Uncle Petros and Goldbach s conjecture, a novel of mathematical obsession (Apostolos Doxiadis) Math Girls (Hiroshi Yuki) Birth of a Theorem (Cedric Villani) Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality Olivier Danvy, / 24

59 So, your exercise Find a movie / book / etc. that illustrates an aspect of the scientific process. Prepare a short talk about this aspect. In 45mn you will give your talk. Olivier Danvy, / 24

60 So, your exercise Find a movie / book / etc. that illustrates an aspect of the scientific process. Prepare a short talk about this aspect. In 45mn you will give your talk. (And remember to repeat each question.) Olivier Danvy, / 24