The numbers game

The numbers in microbial ecology are not astronomical. They are much bigger. Most microbial ecologists study systems that are vaster than our galaxy (10¹¹stars). Huge complex systems need numbers and theory. But the theory must be tested: rigorously. This means: rigorously determining parameters, making independent predictions and tests. Not qualitatively reproducing patterns with fitted parameters. When was the last time you saw a paper on a parameter, a prediction or a test? So lets test what theories we can and discard what we cannot and escape from the ecological dark ages. Take no ones word for it, not even Hutchinson’s