I am now 2 months into my first scientific modelling experience with about 3 months left to go. My feelings about it are at best mixed I would say though it´s a nice experience and the group work is definitely enjoyable. Nonetheless, spending each day staring at the screen trying to discover tiny spelling errors in you matlab code is not exactly the thing you wanna do when mother Earth is just about to rediscover its strength and beauty and spoils us with pure sunshine and 20°C. But then, life isn´t always a bowl of cherries.
Though probably not something for the rest of my (professional) life, modelling with matlab (or comparable software) is actually quite impressive. Within 8 weeks we managed to get from having completely no idea what you are doing and just absentminded "copy-pasting" codes from the reader to designing your own model and actually being able to grasp the meeting of all those points, commas, parentheses and abbreviations that would have sent us fleeing with arms flailing 8 weeks ago.
Right at the moment my buddy Tim and I are working on our final assignment for the course. We are modelling or still trying to model the temporal and spatial processes of slash and burn agriculture commonly practiced by many indigenous tribes in the Amazon rain forest. No I am not talking about the reckless burning of pristine rain forest for commercial activities of huge multinational corporations. In our focus is the small-scale self-sustaining shifting cultivation practiced for many many generations by those tribes.
By composing a code that exists of tons of assumptions converted into commands and algorithms and with the help of modelling software such as matlab, one can nicely reproduce and study these ecosystem processes. It is, however, a pretty bumpy road from gathering your assumptions to making a verbal model and eventually a smootly running computer simulation.
Nonetheless, considering the impact and significance models have in contemporary scientific research, I would say it´s indispensable to get at least a basic understanding of their potentials but also their shortcomings.
With this in mind I decided to spend even more time crouching in front of the computer and begging matlab to be merciful. In this second course that will occupy the entire next period I will focus on modelling plant physiological processes. This research project will be sort of a trial version of our more extensive master thesis next year. This implies one hundred percent self-reliant studying, hence loads of self-discipline, from now till the end of june. Or in other words, the chance to enjoy a bit more of spring and summer by efficient time management.
I will keep you up to date.
All the best,
Andreas
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