Diverse perspectives from diverse scholars are vital for theoretical biology
2022
Shaw, Allison K.
Science is based on studying some aspects of the world while holding others constant. The assumptions of what can and cannot be ignored implicitly shape our understanding of the world around us. This truth is particularly evident when studying biology through mathematical models, where one must explicitly state assumptions during the process of model building. Although we often recognize that all models are “wrong” in their assumptions, we often overlook the corollary that developing multiple models that are wrong in different ways can help us triangulate truth in our understanding. Theoretical biologists build models in the image of how they envision the world, an image that is shaped by their scientific identity, experiences, and perspectives. A lack of diversity in any of these axes handicaps our ability to understand biological systems through theory. However, we can overcome this by collectively recognizing our own assumptions, by understanding how perspective shapes the development of theory, and — most importantly — by increasing the diversity of theoretical biologists (in terms of identity, experiences, and perspectives). Combined, this will lead to developing theory that provides a richer understanding of the biological world.
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