Gemini on Models
TL;DR
Gemini, from Google, is an extremely powerful AI tool. I will use it here to help me think about the use of models.
how are models used in academic disciplines? give an example or two of common models in at least 20 academic disciplines in a formatted table of markdown code with a linked reference for each model that provides more extensive detail and a column that includes whether the model is predictive or explanatory
This response is great except that I want you to provide the response in its entirety as markdown code, not rendered.
Models are the primary tools scholars use to bridge the gap between abstract theory and the complex reality of the world. In academic disciplines, a model is a simplified representation of a system, concept, or process.
Scholars use them for three primary purposes: 1. Explanation: To isolate specific variables and understand how or why a phenomenon occurs (e.g., how neurons fire). 2. Prediction: To forecast future states or unseen data based on current parameters (e.g., predicting the spread of a virus). 3. Simulation: To create “sandbox” environments where theoretical scenarios can be tested without real-world risk (e.g., economic crash simulations).
The following table outlines common models across 20 distinct academic disciplines.
Common Academic Models
| Discipline | Model Name | Use/Description | Type | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Physics | Standard Model | Explains the fundamental particles (quarks, leptons) and forces (strong, weak, electromagnetic) that constitute matter. | Explanatory & Predictive | CERN Source |
| 2. Epidemiology | SIR Model | Mathematical model that tracks Susceptible, Infectious, and Recovered individuals to simulate disease spread. | Predictive | NIH Reference |
| 3. Economics | IS-LM Model | Macroeconomic tool demonstrating the relationship between interest rates and the asset/goods market (Investment-Saving/Liquidity-Money). | Explanatory & Predictive | Investopedia Detail |
| 4. Psychology | Big Five (OCEAN) | A taxonomy for personality traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. | Explanatory | NIH Reference |
| 5. Biology | Lotka-Volterra | A pair of differential equations used to describe the dynamics of biological systems in which two species interact (Predator-Prey). | Predictive | Nature Scitable |
| 6. Sociology | Gravity Model | Predicts the volume of interaction (migration, trade, communication) between two places based on their size and distance. | Predictive | ThoughtCo Overview |
| 7. Neuroscience | Hodgkin-Huxley | A mathematical model describing how action potentials (electrical signals) in neurons are initiated and propagated. | Explanatory & Predictive | Scholarpedia |
| 8. Pol. Science | Median Voter Theorem | Argues that in a majority-rule election system, candidates will converge to the position of the median voter to win. | Predictive | NBER Paper |
| 9. Geography | Central Place Theory | Explains the number, size, and location of human settlements in a residential system. | Explanatory | WVU Research |
| 10. Chemistry | VSEPR Theory | A model used to predict the geometry of individual molecules from the number of electron pairs surrounding their central atoms. | Predictive | Purdue Chemistry |
| 11. Linguistics | Tree Model | A comparative model depicting the genealogical relationship between languages as they evolve from a common ancestor. | Explanatory | Language Files |
| 12. Computer Sci | OSI Model | A conceptual framework that describes the functions of a networking system (7 layers) to ensure interoperability. | Explanatory (Conceptual) | Cloudflare Guide |
| 13. Geology | Plate Tectonics | Describes the large-scale motion of seven large plates and the movements of a larger number of smaller plates of Earth’s lithosphere. | Explanatory | USGS Pubs |
| 14. Anthropology | Recent African Origin | The dominant model of the geographic origin and early migration of anatomically modern humans (Out of Africa). | Explanatory | Smithsonian Human Origins |
| 15. Philosophy | Trolley Problem | A “thought experiment” (conceptual model) used to explore ethical intuitions regarding utilitarianism and deontology. | Explanatory (Explorative) | Stanford Encyclopedia |
| 16. Marketing | AIDA Model | Traces the customer journey through Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action. | Explanatory (Process) | Oxford Reference |
| 17. Management | SWOT Analysis | A strategic planning technique used to identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. | Explanatory (Analytical) | Harvard Business School |
| 18. Astronomy | Big Bang Model | The prevailing cosmological model for the observable universe from the earliest known periods through its subsequent large-scale evolution. | Explanatory & Predictive | NASA Science |
| 19. Education | Bloom’s Taxonomy | A hierarchical model used to classify educational learning objectives into levels of complexity and specificity. | Explanatory (Structural) | Vanderbilt Teaching |
| 20. Env. Science | GCM (Climate) | Global Circulation Models use math/physics to simulate the atmosphere and oceans to predict future climate change. | Predictive | NOAA Explanation |
Would you like me to…
Generate a Python script or R code to simulate one of the simpler predictive models, such as the SIR Model or Lotka-Volterra, so you can see how the variables interact in real-time?