Biology Quote by Hallam Stevens
““Biological databases impose particular limitations on how biological objects can be related to one another. In other words, the structure of a database predetermines the sorts of biological relationships that can be 'discovered'. To use the language of Bowker and Star, the database 'torques,' or twists, objects into particular conformations with respect to one another. The creation of a database generates a particular and rigid structure of relationships between biological objects, and these relationships guide biologists in thinking about how living systems work. The evolution of GenBank from flat-file to relational to federated database paralleled biologists' moves from gene-centric to alignment-centric to multielement views of biological action.””
About This Quote
Source Conference Talk: International Society for Computational Biology, 2010
Explains how database structures shape scientific inquiry, limiting and guiding the types of biological relationships researchers can discover.
In simple terms: Database design influences what biology we can see.
Key Takeaway
Design databases to enable broader insights.
Themes
science
technology
data
ontology
methodology
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
Type
academic
informative
When to use this quote
- genomics research
- bioinformatics tool development
- educational curricula
- policy making
Key Concepts
Database architecture
knowledge representation
scientific paradigm
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we build flexible data models?
- What biases do current databases embed?
A Different Perspective
Rigid structures may stifle novel hypotheses.
