Anthropology is a science, but it's not a hard science like chemistry or physics. Unlike molecules or subatomic particles, human beings are far too variable to make good scientific subjects. Still, science is built around identifying patterns, and humans, while not always consistent, do behave in predictable ways which can be observed and, maybe, explained. Sociologists and psychologists construct surveys and experiments as instruments to study human behavior and identify patterns. In anthropology, we consider ourselves as the instruments of analysis. We may use some statistical models, but mostly we interpret what we see through the lens of our training and experience, looking for patterns in the form of culture. Do you think this is a valid means of understanding the world? Why or why not? What problems do you see emerging from this kind of work and how can we minimize them? What value does ethnography have?