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> is there anyone doing actual research with data that can be repeated, instead of deriving principles from natural observations? I can’t imagine a way to do a
by sharkjacobs 4y ago
> is there anyone doing actual research with data that can be repeated, instead of deriving principles from natural observations?
I can’t imagine a way to do a controlled reproducible experiment looking at the social behaviour of wild animals. It’s not like any of this could be observed in a lab environment.
There are a lot of subjects that can only be studied through natural observation.
- avereveard 4y agonatural observations can range from personal diaries to rigorous data collection at scale with cross validation and identification of confounding factors to the point where theories can be tested against the data from the field the wording of the article and your reply hints at this research being of the first type.
- coldtea 4y ago>I can’t imagine a way to do a controlled reproducible experiment The question isn't "what would happen if", but "what's the behavior as exhibited", so you don't need to do a "controlled experiment". You just need to observe and accurately describe the kind of pack dynamics and behavior seen. Observation is enough for this, and there are tons of studies done exactly that way on animals, some of them lasting decades, from gorillas to meerkats and from dolphins to mice...