The contest’s runner-up the essay is “History and Philosophy of Science after the Practice-Turn: From Inherent Tension to Local Integration” by Max W. Dresow of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Minnesota.
Scientific fields such as chemistry, psychology, anthropology, and biology are deeply interwoven in countless complex ways. Philosophy professor Bennett McNulty looks at these disciplines through the lens of Immanuel Kant’s writings to better understand how these “inexact sciences” relate to each other and to our investigation of the empirical world.
Scientific research is commonly thought to be all about the numbers: concrete evidence, data, and carefully drawn conclusions. However, Max Dresow’s background in both biological science and philosophy allows him to see the benefit of philosophy’s wider lens when dealing with scientific practices.
“It’s like playing tennis without a net. You always win,” says statistics professor Charles Geyer about conducting unethical research. Discover how Geyer and other professors at the University of Minnesota mobilize the open science movement to inspire appropriate research practices.
A new philosophy class starting this spring will examine conceptual issues in medicine, delving deeper into how medical professionals know what they know. Alan Love, professor of philosophy who will be teaching the class, says the class will cover "a dimension of medicine … that is very relevant for all members of society."
Do scientific theories fully describe the world? Do electrons and electromagnetic fields really exist? What sets science apart from other kinds of inquiry? Philosophers of science like Professor Samuel C. Fletcher grapple with these complicated questions daily. Fletcher recently introduced this way of thinking to a group of bright high school students in the Honors Mentor Connection class at Wayzata High School.
Sara Parhizgari is a recipient for the award of a 2018–2019 Pre-Doctoral Fellowship through the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS).
We held the Tenth Annual Science Studies Symposium this past January. The talk was centered around new research models and changes in the realm of scientific cooperation.
