REPORT NO. |
MODEL |
COVERING LAW |
PHENOMENON EXPLAINED |
1600 atoms 128 polymer chains |
Physical theory | Energy dissipation | |
| 55-256 atoms | Physical theory | Structure and stability of liquids | |
| Phosphorus coupling with C, O2, and Fe | Heuristic rate equations | Stabilization of atmospheric oxygen during the phanerozoic | |
| Any non-specific immune process | Heuristic rate equations | Clearance of HIV from the blood | |
| Structure of selected proteases; CES | Heuristic parsimony algorithm | Serine protease diversity | |
REPORT NO. |
MODEL |
CAUSE |
EFFECT |
| KD cells | Decreased cyclin-E/CDK2 activity | Loss of anchorage | |
| Increased CDK inhibitors decreased phosphorylation of Thr160 | Decreased cyclin-E/CDK2 activity | ||
| A31.C1 cells | Osteopontin | Activation of CD44 receptor | |
| 10 human subjects | Vigilance | Increased brain blood flow | |
| CES | Mutant enzyme and Cu2+ chelation | Altered catalysis | |
| CES | Cu2+ chelation | Altered cell growth | |
| CES | High density lipoprotein | Activation of SR-B1 receptor | |
| CES | Products of ALG-2, ALG-3 | Apoptosis | |
| 5 barn owls | Ligation of NMDA receptor | Auditory learning |
TABLE 1. The two kinds of scientific reasoning employed in Science Issue 5248 were explanations based on the application of a covering law (Reports 1, 2, 6, 7, 9), and proof of cause-effect relationships (Reports 8, 11-16). Because Report No. 9 contained both kinds of reasoning, its classification in this Table is arbitrary. Note that, whether or not consciously, the editor of Science grouped the Reports on the basis of the kind of reasoning employed, as evidenced by their order of appearance in the Journal (Report No.). CES, cell expression system. Reports No. 3-5 and 10 involved invention or discovery, but did not utilize formal reasoning processes. They were therefore not considered further. The lines in the last column provide a brief summary of the individual reports. The reports are numbered in the order of their appearance in the Journal.