To Know a Fly

To Know a Fly

Vuincent Dethier, USA (1915-1993)

b. Apply the four levels of meanings to "To Know a Fly"

Literal Comprehension : Scientists are the people who conduct any experiment properly which is scientific and adventurous one. If a scientist wants to know about something, he does observes the result and brings out a conclusion. There is lack of fallacy, confusion and there is a proper correlation between cause and effect. For the reasonable experiment the scientist asks meaningful questions and makes it fruitful. If he sees a fly moving around the food he asks question 'Is the fly tastes with its feet? ' For that he makes an experiment by fixing the fly in wax and giving it to taste variety of drinks (sweet, less sweet, sour, water, etc) when he cuts all leg the fly can't taste at all. The fly doesn't taste weakest sugar and does fast taste to the sweetest water. It doesn't touch salty sugar with its proboscis. The scientific experiment is  free of weakness and fallacy. It is not like trainers who is finding how can a flea listen? It is not like conclusion of fool that the cause of intoxication is glass. It is not like rescued man from earthquake who says the building fell when he pulled down window shade.

Interpretation:  This essay may be trying to tell us that human beings are not always superior in everything and in everywhere. Humans are also just part of nature. So far the matter if taste Is concerned, the fly can taste for better than we human beings. Fly can't be fooled by artificial sweaters. The nature has many things to say so we have to apply reasons and experiments to get them. We think humans are the greatest on earth but surprise we become when we see ape's reaching up to hung banana.

Critical Thinking:  All the concepts presented in this essay are not acceptable. Are there only wicked people in the world? How can a fly taste reasonably more than humans do? Why has the writer undermined humans?

Assimilation: This essay taught me that humans are not superior in every case. Animals are greater in their respective places. It is meaningless to be proud of being human. Just like tasting this there are many aspects where animals can be superior to us.

c. The essay "To Know a Fly " is an effort to prove the statement. " A properly conducted experiment is a beautiful thing." Explain.

In this essay " To Know a fly" the writer has conducted an experiment to find whether a fly tastes with its feet or not. There is an experiment by fixing the fly in wax and giving it to taste variety of drinks. The drinks consist, sweet, less sweet, sour waters, etc. The experiment is taken regularly and found that the fly does taste sweetest water but doesn't touch the salty water with its proboscis. The fly lowers its proboscis in the least salty and sweet water but does not do to mostly  in salted water. When all feet are cut the fly can't taste of all any type of drink. This experiment gives the idea that the fly can taste with its feet. A  fly can have power to taste most weakest sugar solution that we can not. It also can differentiate different tastes of sugar that we can't  be cheated by artificial sweeters because the item which is sweet to us is sweet to the fly also. It doesn't take out its proboscis when its feet touch salty water. But it takes proboscis out when the water is not salty or it is sweet or normal. Here in this essay the experiment is done nicely to identify whether a fly tastes with its feet or not. When a systematic steps and procedures are conducted the logical result is obvious. With proper experiment finding a fly walking on food drawing a logical conclusion.

Scientific Inquiry: Invention and Text

Scientific Inquiry: Invention and Text

Carl G. Hempel, Germany

(1905-1997)

b. Summarize the essay "Scientific Inquiry: Invention and Text"

The writer has presented a scientific inquiry conducted by one of the medical staffs of Vienna General Hospital from 1844 to 1848. He was Semmelweis who had gone through a long process of scientific inquiry regarding a question why in the First maternity Division to the Second Maternity Division of same hospital. With similar facilities, diet, general care, etc. Why first division got more death ratio of Childbed Fever? the 111.4% was the maximum death rate of First Division while 2.7% in the Second.

Semmelweis with his colleagues started to do his inquiries. He asked why such fatal disease couldn't affect surrounding city Vienna or Second Division. Even the street birth death ratio was lower. in 1864 a report came accusing rough examination of medical students for the death in high number. Still he said the process of birth was more harmful and same style was followed by midwives in the Second Division. Through medical students were cut off (reduced) Still death ratio was even higher.

Some psychological reason was given that due to ringing bell of priest that terrified people to have Childbed Fever in the First Division. Semmelweis experimented that still he death ratio was same. Another hypothesis was laying back birth style in the First Division and on their sides in the Second was not the cause. in 1847 when Semmelwesis's friend got wounded by one of the student doctors he was killed with similar symptoms. Cadaveric Matter from dead body infected the person to be killed. Most of staffs operating with dead bodies went directly with other patients so that contamination was the cause of death. In the Second Division midwives hadn't gone to operate with dead bodies. Semmelweis conducted an experiment himself with other doctor with protection to cancer affected women and normal washed up hands to next 12 women. As the results eleven women. were killed due to childbed Fever out of twelve. Then the writer came to the conclusion that it was not one Cadaveric Material that caused to have 'Childbed Fever' it could be because of damaged matter carried by living organism as well.

Interpretation: Thought this scientific chapter the writer wants to present the ideas about how a scientific inquiry is conducted how false reasons and hypotheses are refined and tested with actual established facts. In scientific discovery there comes the processes of making hypothesis, testing experimentation and drawing a factual conclusion. Sometimes in scientific inquiry chance or co-incidence plays an importance role to semmelweis's friend was killed by knife's wound of one of the medical students. This chapter also highlights that success is sure if continuous practice is going on. It also teaches us how can problems be solved by analyzing and explaining related reasons of the problem.

Making of a Scientist

Making of a Scientist

V.S. Ramachandran, India

(1951-)

b. Write the four levels of meanings to the text "The Making of a Scientist".

Literal Comprehension:  Curiosity is most influencing factor to be a scientist. still all people can't be scientist through they have curiosity. To be a scientist one must love to nature and have romantic love affair with her (Nature). The writer got encouraging influences from his science teachers, biology professor and from uncle and brother who were much interested in poetry. Besides he got influenced form his parents-especially from his mother who helped him a lot. For his experience parents in child's mind must there to fill two aspects. First, the child is the best one, Second, he is not good enough, The writer was interested in science when he was eleven. He though nature a friend and playground. He took previous scientists as real people.

Having keen interest in various subjects he loved and studied Indian history, art Indus Valley Script and many more. He assumed that Victorian science was good one because there was best progress in science being free from financial problems. He also points out that modern scientists lack fun because they are only research based with tools not the problems oriented. Even then the writer's passion to be a scientist was growing up with the interest in multiple subjects. He left no sector noticed. Nature is not complex thing so it is not difficult to solve/find scientific problems. He referred Darwin, Faraday Galileo like all scientists who walked along adventurous road of science. He has great interest on Neurology because there can have chances to answer common question and large influence secondly It asks question. who we actually are? The writer becomes scientist not to become famous like other but because of inmost desire and fun and influences from his friends.

Interpretation:  This essay might be trying to highlight the ideas that we an do progress and do a lot in any sector if we do with fun and work freely. To be a  scientist is not only an inborn quality rather so many factors become responsible there. Again doing workshop, seminars and working with equipments is not scientific work in real. We can't think it is scientific development with high qualities tools.

Critical Thinking: This essay has successfully presented the ideas that how curiosity leads to progress and how continuous dedication helps to get success in any fields. The writer's interest and final stage of gaining is influencing. Still there are some confusing ideas presented in this essay. How can only parents and homely environment create a scientific mind? can only curiosity, truth and dedication help someone to be a scientist? Can one be veteran or at home in multiple sectors at a time? Like the writer every one wants to become great influencing to other people.

Assimilation: After going through this text I got so many ideas. We can't be successful in any mission unless we have deep interest and dedication to it. How the literary persons or scientists make their personal world is given clearly. To be specific in any subject becomes boring. Sometimes having knowledge about multiple disciplines is very much interesting one. Anyway curiosity is the main factor to do  progress in any sector.

c. Do you agree with Prof. Ramachandran that " Science is a love affair with nature and more common with poetry". Give reasons.

Yes, I fully agree with writer Prof. Ramachandran about his comparison of science with romantic love after with nature or with poetry. The one who loves nature and enjoys with nature and natural beauty will try to understand the nature. Similarly, the scientists also try to invent new things new facts and create new world.

To love nature means to understand a lot about construction ecosystem and natural phenomena. All scientific inventions from ancient to the present are done within nature. The nature is not always about environmental aspect because nature indicates about human nature or behavior. Sigmund Freud talked a lot about human behaviors. From ancient Dante to Chaucer, Milton Wordsworth Galilio etc. have discussed a lot about the nature in general.

When there is a romantic love affair there is curiosity between lovers to find out newness in each other. They are much more interested and delighted to live funny life. In the same way science is a subject followed by such people who are very much interested and have maximum curiosity to find new things or event. Similarly, poetry is such composition where a poet has made a world of his own with new systems and colors. As scientists or successful persons also create their personnel world. All the philosophers, scientists, biologist, physicists, psychologists, etc. much more delighted with their personal worlds.

on the basis of above mentioned few of the remarks we can conclude that science in more or less in the same pattern of romantic love affair with nature. And it has more common with poetry as well.