Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ahti-veikko.pietarinen@helsinki.fi
Fall 2011
Metaphysics of Science:
organisation + product)
Can science be divided into pure and applied parts?
Suppose (as Aristotle believed) that the heavier a body is, the
faster it falls to the ground and suppose we have two bodies, a
heavy one called M and a light one called m. Under our initial
assumption M will fall faster than m. Now suppose that M and
m are joined together thus M+m. Now what happens? Well
M+m is heavier than M so by our initial assumption it should
fall faster than M alone. But in the joined body M+m, m and M
will each tend to fall just as fast as before they were joined, so
m will act as a brake on M and M+m will fall slower than M
alone. Hence it follows from our initial assumption that M+m
will fall both faster and slower than M alone. Since this is
absurd our initial assumption must be false.
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1.
2.
2. Scientific reasoning
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Name of
Product
From
Invention to
Application
From
Name of Product Invention to
Application
Duration
Steamer
1680~1780
100
Aircraft
1897~1911
14
Electromotor
1829~1886
57
Television
1922~1934
12
Telephone
1820~1876
56
Atom
1939~1945
Wireless
Communication
1867~1902
35
Transistor
1948~1953
Vacuum tube
1882~1915
33
Integrated circuit
1958~1961
Electric Vehicle
1868~1895
27
Laser Machine
1960
Duration
12
14
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1.
2.
3.
Deduction:
M is P
S is M
S is (necessarily) P
Induction:
S1, S2, S3,... are M
S1, S2, S3,... are P
Any M is (probably) P
Abduction:
M is P1, P2, P3,...
S is P1, P2, P3,...
S is (plausibly) M
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1.
2.
3.
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test:
If tests prove negative, theory is falsified
If tests fit the theory, continue to uphold it as undefeated.
1.
2.
Yes: Bayesianism
1.
2.
Pr( H / E) Pr( H)
(Bayes Formula)
Pr( E)
No: Induction is a natural form of reasoning accept abduction and
induction as facts of mind.
Amounts to rational belief revision
http://consc.net/misc/proofs.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4yBvvGi_2A
http://inquiry.mcdaniel.edu/videos/CrossfireIntelligentDesign.swf
http://web.maths.unsw.edu.au/~jim/worst.html
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not merely tools but parts of the the theories & necessary
conditions for the experiments & influencing the interpretations
Maybe science has no foundations but this need not imply
any recourse to the postmodern
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practices, but to defend the standards of scientific & philosophical work from
the threats of postmodern literary intellectuals pontificating on science and
its philosophy and making a complete bungle of both.
Check out Sokals new book: Beyond the Hoax: Science, Philosophy
and Culture, Oxford University Press, 2009.
Explains the original joke sentence by sentence
Contains an Afterword that was rejected by the Social Text on the grounds
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2.
3.
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1.
Materiality?
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2.
Engineering design
is the process of devising a system, component, or
process to meet desired needs. It is a decision-making
process (often iterative), in which the basic science
and mathematics and engineering sciences are
applied to convert resources optimally to meet a stated objective.
(Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, ABET)
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35
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40
1.
2.
Scientists postulate all kinds of things but need not believe in them.
Pessimistic meta-induction: most past theories turned out false, why
should I believe science?
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signalling
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4.
5.
6.
What is information?
The evolution of ICT:
Recording technologies (prehistory 19th century)
1.
1.
2.
3.
2.
1.
2.
Telegraphs
Cinema, radio, telephone, television (mass media)
3.
1.
2.
3.
What is computation?
Digital construction of the
real world
Transformation of all information into the global
infosphere (Floridi 2009, in Companion):
Implications:
1. To understand it we need to understand the nature
of (i) potential for irreversible harm (risks) and (ii)
scientific uncertainties
2. Is a normative principle (favours environmental and
human health factors over others)
3. Refers to reasons for action, is not a guide or a recipe
for what action to take
4. Applies in all contexts (technology, policy making,
governance, international law, trade,)
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technology
Too often treated separately
What is risk?
1.
2.
3.
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Or is it?
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3.
chaotically
Safety engineering:
1.
1.
2.
3.
+
-
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU
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