(OHSC0) Understanding Popper's Falsificationism with HSC Teaching Assistant Jacob Brown

In this article, the Board of SASS interviews History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0) Teaching Assistant Jacob Brown. We hope that this article will help current and future HSC students in their academic journey!

When did you take History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0), and who was your instructor?

2019-2020 school year with Dr. Walker-Dale

About how much time did you spend a week working on assignments and preparing for discussion sessions in History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0)?

It depended a lot on the week, but generally three hours barring when I was working on a writing assignment which made it more like five to seven hours depending on how one counts.

What did the typical week in History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0) look like?

Again barring working on writing assignments which merely mean time spent writing a paper and thinking about concepts, the typical week was predominantly doing the readings, taking some notes, and then thinking about how the concepts from the readings interact with the other readings and looking for general trends/patterns.

What did you enjoy about History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0)?

I found the course really interesting overall, it allows me to have fun thinking about the philosophical implications of scientific method and the reasons behind certain modes of thought.

What was your favorite topic covered in History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0)?

Probably the final unit that looked more at science in society from a more modern-day social perspective.

What challenged you the most in History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0)? How did you overcome those challenges?

There were some times when I was at a loss on how to fully close an argument, in the sense that I thought I knew how to reach an answer but there was one step that I just couldn’t figure out. This applies both to writing assignments but it also can happen when trying to look for patterns or connections between modes of reasoning/science. In general my solution was to if I had the time just sit on it for a night and try taking a new approach the next day, and if not, skip the waiting and just try starting from the beginning again (of the problem, not the whole assignment/reading). Also going to office hours is helpful.

Are there midterms/finals in this class? How would you recommend reviewing for these exams?

There are finals, but not midterms. I would recommend paying attention to the study guides which hopefully will come out. More broadly, HSC is very much a class about connections, how one thinker influenced another, and how one is different from the previous, and how all that added up. Trying to create a general narrative even if it isn’t that detailed is quite helpful. I also recommend making sure to review key philosophical concepts.

What are the major assignments for this class? How would you recommend approaching these assignments?

The research paper is by far the biggest, and as for how to approach it, the single most important thing you can do is pick a topic you are interested in. There is a lot of research you at least should be doing, and not every topic makes people want to read through articles or parts of articles on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. I advise finding one that does, or barring that one that you are passionate about independent of philosophy. As for the smaller writing assignments I recommend having a plan before you start writing but in sort of more general non-obvious things, the length limit is annoying, think about which parts of your argument are necessary and which ones aren’t, you don’t need to solve every problem, just the relevant ones.

Do you recommend typing or hand-writing notes for History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0)?

I have always typed, but that is since I don’t want to expend the paper. I will say I personally find searchable notes useful in general but I am not the right person to ask about note-taking. Also, it is useful to have notes available side by side if that consideration is relevant to how you organize/view things.

How should a student participate and engage in discussions of History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0)?

This depends on the context and what you are doing, but generally focus on trying to get at the philosophical implications of what you are talking about. Both why whatever science was done the way it was, and if that is problematic, and if so, why. Also, and I cannot stress this enough since some topics are pretty complicated, if you do not understand something, ask questions. The concepts are not simple and thankfully we don’t need to memorize every detail of quantum mechanics or something but you should make sure you ask questions if you don’t understand something.

If you have taken any other core classes at the OHS, how does History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0) compare to other courses in the core sequence?

Compared to MSB it is definitely more directly philosophical. If you took HNS (8th grade core) I think that is a bit more what HSC is like (adjusted for age) and with a completely different topic in the sense that you are looking at a variety of ideas. However, it looks at them as they build on each other through time.

Do you have any resources (i.e. study tips, useful websites) to share with students who want to take the course?

I cannot think of any off the top of my head in terms of resources. I do advise asking questions both to instructors and fellow students and peer tutors including myself.

When are your office hours, and what do students do in them?

My office hours are Tuesdays 9-10 PM PT, Thursdays 4-5 PM PT, and I will also try to answer your questions you have for me outside of those times if you message me or put them in the HSC skype group. As for what students do in them, I am open to helping you in basically any way I can (within reason I will not write your paper for you). I am doing my best to keep up with the weekly readings so don’t be concerned if you have a really specific question, but I may need to find the relevant section of the text if I don’t remember it.

Do you have anything to add?

The quiz reviews are really helpful.

Jacob Brown is a TA for History and Philosophy of Science and can be found on the Writing and Tutoring Center.

#HSC #OHSC0