astronomy

James L. Gould

James L. Gould is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand James L. Gould rather than just read about it. In short: James L. Gould (born July 31, 1945) is an American ethologist, evolutionary biologist, and popular science writer.

Key takeaways

James L. Gould belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect James L. Gould to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of James L. Gould from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

James L. Gould (born July 31, 1945) is an American ethologist, evolutionary biologist, and popular science writer. He has served as a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University since receiving his PhD in 1975. However, he is primarily known for the experiment he designed while an undergraduate at Caltech which proved that bees use complex dances to communicate the location of food. In addition to several technical works and textbooks, he co-wrote with his wife the popular science book The Honey Bee. Gould went on to do work that further specialized in communication in southern right whales. He also published studies that made serious contributions to the ethological understanding of animal navigation and sexual selection. During his long career at Princeton, Gould has been dedicated to teaching as well as research. Notably, he taught introductory biology and animal behavior courses, as well as field courses in marine biology.

Selected publications The Honey Bee (1988) Animal Architects: Building and the Evolution of Intelligence (2007)

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with James L. Gould

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what James L. Gould claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to James L. Gould before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about James L. Gould ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of James L. Gould

In research: James L. Gould appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses James L. Gould in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: James L. Gould is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1945 births, 21st-century American biologists, American male non-fiction writers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for James L. Gould outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study James L. Gould in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what James L. Gould means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain James L. Gould out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is James L. Gould in simple terms?

James L. Gould (born July 31, 1945) is an American ethologist, evolutionary biologist, and popular science writer.

Why does James L. Gould matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study James L. Gould?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on James L. Gould.