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Comparative Neurogenesis In The Brain Of The Adult Mayan Cichlid, Ahmed Ali, Kelsey Bragg, Catalina Breton, William Kotkin, Jonathan Romanes Apr 2012

Comparative Neurogenesis In The Brain Of The Adult Mayan Cichlid, Ahmed Ali, Kelsey Bragg, Catalina Breton, William Kotkin, Jonathan Romanes

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Neural progenitor cells are the only cells in the adult brain that continue to proliferate, migrate, and integrate into existing neural networks throughout the life-span of all mammals examined to date, including humans. Understanding how neurogenesis (the birth of new neurons) is regulated has exciting therapeutic potential for a wide range of central nervous system diseases. Neural progenitor cells exist in two neurogenic regions of the adult mammalian brain: the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the forebrain subventricular zone. In recent studies, postnatal neurogenesis has been reported in several regions of the fish brain including the olfactory bulb, optic …

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Complete Protection And Glycosylation Of 5-Hydroxy-Dl-Lysine, Rina M. Bhalani, Lindsey Nowland Apr 2012

Complete Protection And Glycosylation Of 5-Hydroxy-Dl-Lysine, Rina M. Bhalani, Lindsey Nowland

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Adiponectin, a protein hormone, has been shown to play a role in preventing the development of atherosclerosis, a common cardiovascular disease. Altering some of the amino acids in adiponectin can provide beneficial effects towards that goal. One such amino acid, Hydroxylysine, can often undergo posttranslational modifications, such as glycosylation, the addition of a sugar molecule.

Hydroxylsine (Hyl) has the molecular formula of C6H14N2O3, and contains four functional groups: a hydroxyl group, a carboxylic group, and two amino groups. The ultimate goal of the proposed research is to galactosylate Hydroxylysine, that is, add …

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Development Of The Removal Of Polyphosphate Kinase Gene In Yersinia Enterocolitica, Travis Thomas Apr 2012

Development Of The Removal Of Polyphosphate Kinase Gene In Yersinia Enterocolitica, Travis Thomas

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The aim of the experiment was to delete the polyphosphate kinase (PPK) gene of the bacteria, Yersinia enterocolitica. Y. enterocolitica is one of three Yersinia spp. that are pathogenic to humans. Y. enterocolitica secretes toxic proteins out of needle-like structures found on its cell surface; these structures and the flagella of the bacteria are assembled by the same process. Diseases caused by pathogenic Yersinia spp. range from gastrointestinal diseases to bubonic plaque; Y. enterocolitica is the causative agent of gastrointestinal diseases. PPK is a ubiquitous enzyme that has been identified as a factor in the motility and virulence of …

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Effect Of Retinoic Acid On Osteogenesis Of Human Umbilical-Cord Stem Cells, Stephanie Chery Apr 2012

Effect Of Retinoic Acid On Osteogenesis Of Human Umbilical-Cord Stem Cells, Stephanie Chery

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are currently being used as a promising tool for bone tissue engineering. The application of these stem cells to bone tissue engineering requires inducing in vitro differentiation of these cells to bone forming cells; osteoblasts. Retinoic acid (RA), a metabolite of vitamin A, is involved in many cell functions including osteogenic differentiation. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential role of retinoic acid as an inducer of osteogenic differentiation in human umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUMSCs).This was done by exploring its applications in bone tissue engineering, specifically for the repair and …

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Effectiveness Of A Biocontrol Agent On Aphid Infestations, Saamia Shaikh, Darshan Solanki Apr 2012

Effectiveness Of A Biocontrol Agent On Aphid Infestations, Saamia Shaikh, Darshan Solanki

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Aphids, insects in family Aphididae, are common, minute organisms (~ 5mm) that thrive in agricultural settings by sucking phloem sap via stylets that penetrate the plants vascular tissue. Past research has demonstrated the effectiveness of pesticide treatments to eradicate these destructive insects, however many of the most commonly used pesticides are highly toxic synthetic compounds. In our previous research we examined the effectiveness of synthetic, organic, and insecticidal soap pesticides on aphid infestations. This current study aims to determine the effectiveness of another alternative, known as biological control, for treating aphid problems. The biocontrol agent used in this study was …

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Evaluation Of Fluoride And Fluorosis, Jessica Bouzo Apr 2012

Evaluation Of Fluoride And Fluorosis, Jessica Bouzo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Fluoride consumption has been linked to dental and skeletal fluorosis as well as osteosclerosis, cancer, renal failure, fertility problems and cognitive effects for years. In this research, the fluoride concentrations of different mouthwashes, teas, toothpastes and water were evaluated. The results showed a broad spectrum of values but none of the values exceeded the average daily intake maximum (0.05-0.07 mg per kilograms per day) for adults. Considering that all the counties in the United States have their fluoride concentration in water at two parts per million (secondary drinking water standard) a person that drinks 64 oz of water every day …

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Examining Relationships Of Transferrin Adhesion To Hilafilcon, Omafilcon, And Tisifilcon A Contact Lenses, Darshan Solanki Apr 2012

Examining Relationships Of Transferrin Adhesion To Hilafilcon, Omafilcon, And Tisifilcon A Contact Lenses, Darshan Solanki

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Lacrimal glands adjacent to the eye secrete tear proteins that deposit onto contact lenses. In order to study this process, three types of FDA group II contact lenses fabricated from hilafilcon, omafilcon and tisifilcon A were incubated in 2.0 mg/mL solutions of holo-transferrin for 1, 2, 3 and 4 days. The degree of protein adhesion was determined by bicinchoninic acid assay. Transferrin adhered to hilafilcon contact lenses in an increasing pattern from day 1 to day 3, with a decrease on day 4. Transferrin adhesion to omafilcon contact lenses followed the same trend with greater protein adhesion than the …

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Exploring A Potential Pathway For Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation In Urban Atmosphere By Laboratory Experiments, Melanie Campbell, Elizabeth Mortazavi Apr 2012

Exploring A Potential Pathway For Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation In Urban Atmosphere By Laboratory Experiments, Melanie Campbell, Elizabeth Mortazavi

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Formaldehyde, other carbonyl compounds and amines are common atmospheric pollutants emitted from industrial sources in urban areas. These compounds have been proposed to contribute to secondary organic aerosol formation, thus urban air pollution, through a process known as the Mannich reaction. Here we report a laboratory study of the reactions among carbonyl and amine precursor compounds in the bulk phase to determine if the anticipated Mannich-type products form. The reactions are performed under various temperatures ranging from 0°C to 55°C using low concentrations of inorganic or organic acids as the catalyst. The products are characterized by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) …

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Exploring Rural Medicine: Internship In Linville, North Carolina, Lynette Miller Apr 2012

Exploring Rural Medicine: Internship In Linville, North Carolina, Lynette Miller

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, Inc. (APPRHS) formed a unique internship opportunity. The purpose of the internship was to expose students to different specialty areas of medicine providing an educational experience that cannot be duplicated in the classroom. Over the course of six weeks, I participated in rotations in the Pharmacy, Surgery, Emergency, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Radiology and Medical/Surgical Departments of Cannon Memorial Hospital in Linville, NC. Due to its remote location, the hospital is classified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a Medicare Critical Access Hospital with an underserved population. Many …

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Forever In My Heart, Vittoria Santini Apr 2012

Forever In My Heart, Vittoria Santini

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Forever in My Heart” is a coming-of-age dramatic short film about an 18-year-old university student, Jackie, who was drugged and raped at a party. Shortly after this incident, Jackie discovers that she is pregnant, and she must decide whether to have the baby or get an abortion. The film is directed by Vittoria Santini. Other crew members and actors include Victoria Rajkumar, Davis Yahn, Esther Swilley, Maggy Klingberg, Anthony Anania, and Joseph Anania.

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Gone, Gregory Hinds Apr 2012

Gone, Gregory Hinds

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Gone” is a short film about a young college student, Jason Love (AKA “J-Love”), whose younger brother Darius is killed. Jason seeks revenge on the people responsible for Darius’ death. Eventually Jason must learn to overcome his grief and find love. The film is directed by Gregory Hinds.

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How Math And Music Jams Together, Felicia Bell Apr 2012

How Math And Music Jams Together, Felicia Bell

Undergraduate Student Symposium

For centuries, mathematicians have been trying to analyze and model music. Music can be described and analyzed through quite a few equations which are based on trigonometric functions, derivatives and integration. A wave equation can be used to represent harmonic notes such as a vibrating string from a guitar. A single tone can be described by a sine function, while multiple notes played together can be described by the sum of each single tone. Processing a piece of music as a signal, the theory of Fourier Transform can identify each note and its amplitude or volume.

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Human Derived Contaminants In Water Systems: Occurrence, Treatment, And Prevention, William Kotkin, Roshni Patel, Jennifer Rankin Apr 2012

Human Derived Contaminants In Water Systems: Occurrence, Treatment, And Prevention, William Kotkin, Roshni Patel, Jennifer Rankin

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Human derived contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products, have been detected in the aquatic environments including ground, surface, sewage, and drinking waters. The occurrences and distributions of such compounds, such as hormones, caffeine and pharmaceuticals, in various water systems are reviewed in this paper with a focus on South Florida. Along with potential health hazards caused by these contaminants, existing water treatment technologies are discussed to understand their presence in this region. Recommendations for improved technologies and preventative measure are also presented.

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Lemuel, The Egocentric Human, Sasha Strelitz Apr 2012

Lemuel, The Egocentric Human, Sasha Strelitz

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This essay investigates Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, spotlighting a central message of his, warning humankind against the folly of vanity. Following his protagonist, Lemuel Gulliver, through four fantastical worlds, one begins to see a pattern of unwinding humanity. Before arriving in Lilliput (the first whimsical land), Gulliver is a typical human being, with typical hard-wired narcissism. After years of voyaging, and after a memorable stay with the Yahoos, Gulliver rejects his humanity as being brutish, vain, and egocentric. However, banished from Houyhnhnm Land, he finds solace and sanity in horse stables. Perhaps this seems excessive, but this reader attributes …

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Loop Hole, Esther Swilley Apr 2012

Loop Hole, Esther Swilley

Undergraduate Student Symposium

"Loop Hole" is a short film about two lifelong friends who have found themselves failing their first semester of college. Kathy and Heather desperately attempt to find a loophole which will allow them to pass their classes. The film is directed by Esther Swilley. Other crew members include Davis Yahn, Victoria Rajkumar and Vittoria Santini.

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Loss Of 125i-Sarcosine1, Isoleucine8 Angiotensin Ii Binding In The Brain Of Neurolysin Knock-Out Mice, Jamala D. Swindle, Luz Gonzalez, Andrea Linares, Kira L. Santos Apr 2012

Loss Of 125i-Sarcosine1, Isoleucine8 Angiotensin Ii Binding In The Brain Of Neurolysin Knock-Out Mice, Jamala D. Swindle, Luz Gonzalez, Andrea Linares, Kira L. Santos

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The brain renin-angiotensin system profoundly affects the cardiovascular system, often with pathological consequences. However, many unresolved questions about its functionality remain. Recently it was shown that a novel, non-AT1, non-AT2 binding site for angiotensin II (Ang II) exists in the mammalian brain. This protein has been identified as the metalloendopeptidase neurolysin (E.C.3.4.24.16). To assess the localization of this binding site in mouse brain, 3 mice deficient in neurolysin as well as 3 wild-type mouse brains were evaluated for radioligand binding with 125I-Sarcosine1,Isoleucine8 Ang II (250 pM) in the presence of receptor-saturating concentrations of …

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Mathematical Modeling, Simulation, And Compression Of Images, Jonathan Reyna Apr 2012

Mathematical Modeling, Simulation, And Compression Of Images, Jonathan Reyna

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This project builds a mathematical model that obtains parameters and statistical properties of residuals taken from a picture in JPEG format, to later simulate replicas of the original picture. The importance of this problem stems from the large amount of bandwidth required to transmit a high resolution picture over the Internet. The mathematical model built from this picture and its set of residuals has a much smaller magnitude than the original picture elements (pixels). This implies that if one were to transmit the parameters alone, a high compression rate would be achieved, thus saving bandwidth. In order to replicate the …

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Paleoceanographic Productivity Reconstructions Using Marine Mammal Bone Collagen, Jonathan H. Gomez Apr 2012

Paleoceanographic Productivity Reconstructions Using Marine Mammal Bone Collagen, Jonathan H. Gomez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Changes in primary ocean productivity play a key role in determining the structure and biomass yield of the North Pacific ecosystem. Are recent dramatic fluctuations in marine ecosystem productivity a function primarily of industrial and other anthropogenically induced changes or part of larger ecosystem scale processes? Archaeofaunal remains of pinnipeds and cetaceans from the Aleutian Islands, Alaska are used as a proxy for marine productivity changes over decade, century and millennial scales throughout the Holocene. Marine vertebrate remains from several previously excavated well-dated archaeological deposits on Unalaska Island span the period AD 1912-5500 BP. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios …

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Population Densities Of Porites Sverdrupi, A Coral Limited To The Mexican Eastern Tropical Pacific, Eduardo Carrera Apr 2012

Population Densities Of Porites Sverdrupi, A Coral Limited To The Mexican Eastern Tropical Pacific, Eduardo Carrera

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Porites sverdrupi is a rare, endemic free living coral that only inhabits the Mexican Eastern Tropical Pacific at depths typically between 20 and 40 meters. Until recently it was considered an ecomorph of the more abundant congener Porites panamensis, so there are few studies focused solely upon this species. The volatility of the populations of corals in this region and a continually decreasing habitat has led some researchers to conclude that P. sverdrupi may be undergoing a natural process of extinction. This study initiates a multi-year analysis of the population trend of P. sverdrupi off the coast of Isla …

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Porous Compounds As Drug Transfer Agents, Angelo J. Capobianco Apr 2012

Porous Compounds As Drug Transfer Agents, Angelo J. Capobianco

Undergraduate Student Symposium

For a while now there has been an interest in porous compounds to act as transfer agents for other compounds. Porous compounds are defined as such because the molecular structure of these compounds so as there is empty space, or a channel between each molecule of the compound. Therefore, the more molecules that the compound has, the more channels exist and the compound is more porous. The channels in these molecules allow molecules from other compounds, or guest molecules to become locked inside of the porous material. The compound being studied in this experiment is a solid, crystalline compound created …

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Role Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Chronic Wound Healing, Shahjahan Shareef Apr 2012

Role Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Chronic Wound Healing, Shahjahan Shareef

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Stem cells has been well characterized to be multipotent cells that can differentiate into multiple tissueforming cell lineages, as osteloblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, tenocytes and myocytes. It has been shown that bone marrow derived cells provide stem and progenitor cells to wounds during inflammation, proliferative and remodeling phase of wound healing. On the other hand, mice have become the premier animal model for the study of numerous complex human diseases. Mouse models are cost effective and have a favorable generation time for cross breeding experiments. In our work we show the use of two mice models to determine which is the …

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Sharkcal: The Solution To Scheduling Dilemmas, Jeremy Austin Cantor Apr 2012

Sharkcal: The Solution To Scheduling Dilemmas, Jeremy Austin Cantor

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Current business practices and scheduling systems are inefficient, and as a result, they often force the customer to wait for assistance, toiling on hold while listening to elevator music and confronting layers of representative before reaching somebody who may be able to help us. SharkCal will provide a solution to this reoccurring annoyance, as it will replace the scheduling systems of the clients' organizations. SharkCal will allow users to set appointments for help and services with the staff at the customer’s organization. It will display a user-friendly calendar with weekly and monthly view options so users can clearly see what …

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Spartacus: Blood And Oil, Holly Buttach, Lisa De La Vega, Dean Gardner, Daniel Strien Apr 2012

Spartacus: Blood And Oil, Holly Buttach, Lisa De La Vega, Dean Gardner, Daniel Strien

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Population dynamics and socioeconomic factors are closely entwined and play a large role in shaping civilizations. Among the many factors influencing populations are resource production and allocation and the impact of violence, either predatory or retaliatory. Of the resources crucial to civilizations today, few are as important as oil, as oil is used in a variety of applications and is a finite resource. Differential equations can be used to model associations between oil production and various other elements of society in order to predict future events. It is by using such equations that we will examine the relationship between rates …

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Summer Transplant Surgical Internship In Graz, Austria, Reena Parikh, Catalina Rodriguez Apr 2012

Summer Transplant Surgical Internship In Graz, Austria, Reena Parikh, Catalina Rodriguez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In the summer of 2011, we were given the opportunity to travel to Graz, Austria to complete a sevenweek surgical internship. We were able to assist with an organ transplant team at the Medical University of Graz. As interns, our responsibilities included attending morning rounds, drawing blood samples, setting up IVs and assisting in several surgeries. We also had the chance to observe several different specialties in surgery including cardiothoracic, neurology, obstetrics, pulmonary, pediatrics, reconstructive, and orthopedics. During our entire stay, we were on-call and responded to emergencies, which included traveling to a nearby city to collect organs for transplantation. …

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Temperature Effect On Florida Manatee Abundance In The Port Everglades, Ashlyn Chazhikat Apr 2012

Temperature Effect On Florida Manatee Abundance In The Port Everglades, Ashlyn Chazhikat

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Florida Manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris), can be found in Port Everglades, which is located near Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center. Manatees can be found here during the winter because they thrive in the warm-water habitat created by the discharge of warm water from the FPL Power Plant. The data that were used in this study was obtained during weekly trips from the Oceanographic Center through Port Everglades. The trips were taken on a biweekly basis during the summer and early fall months and on a weekly basis during the winter months. During the boat trips in the Port, …

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The Different Shades Of Black, Charnele Michel Apr 2012

The Different Shades Of Black, Charnele Michel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Different Shades of Black” is a short documentary film about the ongoing conflict between lightskinned and dark-skinned people in the black community. This is a controversial issue among people of African-American and Caribbean descent, some of whom believe that lighter-skinned black people are considered more attractive, and often receive better opportunities, than darker-skinned black people. Such stereotypes about skin complexion may be fueled by the media (e.g., music videos, movies, television shows, and advertisements). This documentary will showcase the opinions of people in the black community about this issue. The goals of this film are to bring awareness to this …

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The Effects Of Sleep Deprivation On Neurophysiological Measures Of Emotion And Biochemical Measures Of Stress, Ramey Alfarra Apr 2012

The Effects Of Sleep Deprivation On Neurophysiological Measures Of Emotion And Biochemical Measures Of Stress, Ramey Alfarra

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The relationship between sleep and emotion is not well understood. Existing studies typically link sleep and emotion based on subjective assessments- rarely are objective measures utilized to examine the interaction between sleep and emotion. Here, we determined the effect of 24 hours of sleep deprivation on a neurophysiological measures of attention to emotional stimuli through the use an electroencephalographic (EEG) event related potential (ERP) measure of emotion- the late positive potential (LPP). Each participant underwent two testing sessions between 7:00-9:00 am: the first session occurred five days prior to sleep deprivation (baseline testing), the second session occurred the morning after …

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The Effects Of Stress And Sleep Restriction On Attention And Inhibitory Task Performance, Brandi Viparina, Isaac Chayo Apr 2012

The Effects Of Stress And Sleep Restriction On Attention And Inhibitory Task Performance, Brandi Viparina, Isaac Chayo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Stress and sleep deprivation impairs performance on attention and inhibitory tasks. Due to the bidirectional effects of sleep restriction and stress, it is difficult to determine the combined and independent effect of each of these on cognitive performance. In an effort to disentangle the unique contribution of stress and sleep on performance, we sought to examine students during a time in which they are both sleep restricted and stressed. To that end, we employed a repeated measures withinsubject design in which each participant was tested twice, once during a non-exam week and once during exam week. The Stroop and a …

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The Effects Of Various Concentrations Of Sugar And Sugar Substitutes (Sucralose, Stevia, And Aspartame) On Gene Expression In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae (Yeast), Beric Berlioz Apr 2012

The Effects Of Various Concentrations Of Sugar And Sugar Substitutes (Sucralose, Stevia, And Aspartame) On Gene Expression In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae (Yeast), Beric Berlioz

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Artificial sweeteners are promoted for their apparent medical benefits in regards to issues of weight control, diabetes, and tooth decay. The primary objective of this study was to collect information about how table sugar (sucrose) and three sugar substitutes Splenda (sucralose-based), Truvia (stevia-based) and Equal (aspartame-based) affect gene expression at varying concentrations. Regular yeast growthmedia, plus low (10 tsp/100 pounds), medium (34 tsp/100 pounds), and high (340 tsp/100 pounds) added concentrations of the sugar or sugar-substitutes were used. These concentrations were selected according to recently published literature based on the diet of typical American teenagers. Yeast were used as a …

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The Epistemological Status Of Theoretical Simplicity, Yineth Sanchez Apr 2012

The Epistemological Status Of Theoretical Simplicity, Yineth Sanchez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In this paper, I argue that theoretical simplicity is not an epistemic virtue. Therefore, we need not prefer the simpler explanation of two competing scientific theories. First, I clarify the concept of theoretical simplicity as it figures into discussions in the philosophy of science. Next, I evaluate the strongest arguments in favor of this view as a criterion of theory selection. Then, I present two instances where theoretical simplicity is not preferable as such a criterion. Lastly, I show that while there may be a number of nonepistemic criteria of theory choice, including simplicity, none of them bears upon truth. …

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