1017 Cathedral of Learning [email protected] Pittsburgh, PA 15260 Website TEL: 614-571-4216

Julia R. Bursten

Education

2015 Ph.D. (expected), History and Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh 2010 MA, Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh 2008 BA, Philosophy, Rice University Honors Thesis: Selecting a Structure of Scientific Communication Advisor: Melinda Fagan

Dissertation: Surfaces, Scales, and Synthesis: Reasoning at the Nanoscale

Committee

Robert Batterman, Chair Jill Millstone Sandra Mitchell John Norton Mark Wilson James Woodward

Abstract

Philosophers interested in scientific methodology have focused largely on physics, biology, and cognitive science. They have paid considerably less attention to sciences such as chemistry and nanoscience, where not only are the subjects distinct, but the very aims differ: chemistry and nanoscience center around synthesis. Methods associated with synthesis do not fit well with description, explanation, and prediction that so dominate aims in philosophers’ paradigm sciences. In order to synthesize a substance or material, scientists need different kinds of information than they need to predict, explain, or describe. Consequently, they need different kinds of models and theories. Specifically, chemists need additional models of how reactions will proceed. In practice, this means chemists must model surface structure and behavior, because reactions occur on the surfaces of materials. Physics, and by extension much of philosophy of science, ignores the structure and behavior of surfaces, modeling surfaces only as “boundary conditions” with virtually no influence on material behavior. Such boundary conditions are not seen as part of the physical laws that govern material behavior, so little consid- eration has been given to their roles in improving scientists’ understanding of materials and aiding synthesis. But especially for theories that are used in synthesis, such neglect can lead to catastrophic modeling fail- ures. In fact, as one moves down toward the nanoscale, the very concept of a material surface changes, with the consequence that nanomaterials behave differently than macroscopic materials made up of the same ele- ments. They conduct electricity differently, they appear differently colored, and they can play different roles in chemical reactions. This dissertation develops new philosophical tools to deal with these changes and give an account of theory and model use in the synthetic sciences. Particularly, it addresses the question of how models of materials at the nanoscale fit together with models of those very same materials at scales many orders of magnitude larger. To answer this and related questions, strict attention needs to be paid to the ways boundaries, surfaces, concepts, models, and even laws change as scales change.

1 Research

Peer-Reviewed Publications

2014 ‘Microstructure without Essentialism: A New Account of Chemical Kinds.’ In Philosophy of Science 81(4). 2012 ‘Pauling’s Defence of Bent-Equivalent Bonds: A View of Evolving Explanatory Demands in Chemistry.’ In Annals of Science 69(1). 2011 Review of The Disappearing Spoon, and Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements. In Spontaneous Generations 5(1).

Presentations

2014 ‘The Structure–Property Paradigm in Chemistry and Nanoscience,’ Structure in Chemistry and Physics Workshop Series, Durham, UK. 2014 ‘Surface Tension: How Nanoscience Challenges Traditional Theories of Expla- nation,’ International Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry Annual Meeting, London, UK. 2014 ‘Surface Tensions,’ Carnegie Mellon University Department of Philosophy Collo- quium Series, Pittsburgh, PA. 2013 ‘Epistemology and the Synthetic: Lessons from Nanosynthesis,’ Methods for Mak- ing symposium at 4th Biennial Society for Philosophy of Science in Practice Meet- ing, Toronto, ON. 2013 ‘Toward a Philosophy of Synthetic Science.’ Rice University Cultural Studies of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine Lecture Series, Houston, TX. 2012 ‘Reconsidering Explanation: Lessons from Nanosynthesis.’ Philosophy of Science Association Biennial Meeting, San Diego, CA.* 2012 ‘Nanosurfaces: How Scale Can Shape Structure and Behavior.’ Structure in Chemistry and Physics Workshop Series, Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadel- phia, PA. 2011 ‘Bonding in Hypervalent Molecules.’ Is There a Nature of the Chemical Bond? symposium at European Philosophy of Science Association conference, Athens, GR. 2011 ‘Studies in Chemical Explanation: Structure and Synthesis.’ 3rd Biennial Society for Philosophy of Science in Practice Meeting, Exeter, UK. 2010 ‘Whence the Defense of the Banana Bond.’ History of Science Society Annual Meeting, Montr`eal,QC. 2010 ‘How Pauling Bent the Double Bond.’ Special Collections Resident Scholar Lec- ture Series, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. 2010 ‘Characterizing Explanations of Chemical Bonds.’ Models and Simulations 4, Toronto, ON.

*Due to injury, this talk was presented on my behalf by Thomas Pashby.

2 Works in Progress

‘Smaller than a Breadbox: Scale and Natural Kinds,’ discussion of scale-dependence in chemical and nanoscientific classification practices. Manuscript. ‘Surface Tension,’ an account of conceptual scale-dependence. Manuscript. (with P. Grim, J. Grefenstete, N. Hupert et al.) ‘Measures for Models: A Collab- orative Epistemological Report at the Interface of Modeling Science and Policy.’ Submitted to Theoretical Biology and Medical Modeling.

Fellowships and Other Recognition

2014 Recipient of Department of History and Philosophy of Science Graduate Teaching Award 2012 Finalist, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program “Creating the Future” Research Video Competition (video available here) 2011 Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry Young Scholar Fellowship

2010 Linus Pauling Resident Scholar Fellowship 2010 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship 2010 Nominee, Elizabeth Baranger Graduate Teaching Award

2009 Invited Participant, Geneva Summer School in Philosophy of Physics 2007 Invited Participant, Colorado Undergraduate Summer School in Philosophy

Affiliations

Resident Philosopher, Millstone Nanosynthesis Research Group, University of Pittsburgh

Education Technology Consultant, Lightside Labs Mentor, Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy Executive Experience American Chemical Society American Philosophical Association

European Philosophy of Science Association Joint Caucus for Socially Engaged Philosophy and History of Science Philosophy of Science Association Philosophy of Science Association Women’s Caucus

Public Communication for Researchers Working Group, Carnegie Mellon Univer- sity Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry

Society for the Philosophy of Science in Practice

3 Teaching

Courses Taught and Assisted

Spring 2014 Space, Time and Matter. This course introduced students to topics in the history of the physical sciences, emphasizing ancient Greek theories of matter, theories of space and time in the Early Modern period, atomism in the Chemical Revolution, and the interplay between theories of space, time, and matter in the early 20th century. This course emphasizes historiography and investigates varieties of his- torical narrative by drawing not only from primary text sources but also secondary academic sources, popular science books, radio and video media. Independently taught course.

Fall 2010 Myth and Science. This course introduced students to the birth of western philo- sophical and scientific reasoning by surveying mythological and naturalistic writ- ings from the pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, Late Antiquity, the Middle Ages and ancient Islam. Independently taught course.

Spring 2010 Einstein: Modern Science and Surprises. This course surveyed the development of modern physics in the late 19th and early 20th century, focusing on the parallel and connected developments of atomic theory, quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity and centering around Einstein’s contributions. Teaching assistant to John Norton.

Fall 2009 Introduction to the Philosophy of Science. This course provided a survey of foundational topics in philosophy of science, including the problems of induc- tion and causation, classification, explanation, and reduction. Teaching assistant to Michela Massimi.

Pedagogical Workshops Led

2012 ‘Using Rubrics to Grade Philosophy Essays.’ Pitt Philosophy Graduate Teaching Seminar.

2012 ‘Leading Discussion Recitations.’ New Teaching Assistant Fall Orientation. 2012 ‘Getting Started in the Classroom.’ New Teaching Assistant Fall Orientation. 2011 ‘Testing, Assignments and Grading.’ New Teaching Assistant Fall Orientation

2011 ‘Testing, Assignments and Grading.’ New Teaching Assistant Spring Orientation.

Professional Service

Reviewer for Mind, Dialectica, Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science, European Journal for Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Science 2013–2014 Listserv Manager, Joint Caucus for Socially Engaged Philosophy and History of Science

2012–2013 HPS Graduate Student Representative 2012–2014 Listserv Manager, Pittsburgh area Feminist Philosophy of Science interest group 2011–2014 Adviser to Undergraduate Philosophy of Science Club

4 2010–2011 Organizing Committee Chair, Pitt–CMU Graduate Conference in Philosophy

2011–2013 Arts and Sciences Graduate Council Representative 2011–2013 Arts and Sciences Planning and Budget Committee Graduate Representative 2008–2012 HPS Representative to Arts and Sciences Graduate Student Organization

2008–2011 Organizing Committee, Pitt–CMU Graduate Conference in Philosophy

References

Robert Batterman, Professor Department of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh 1001 Cathedral of Learning Pittsburgh, PA 15260 rbatterm at pitt.edu

Robin Hendry, Professor and Department Head Department of Philosophy, Durham University 50 Old Elvet Durham, DH1 3HN United Kingdom r.f.hendry at durham.ac.uk Jill Millstone, Assistant Professor Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh Chevron Science Center 219 Parkman Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15260 jem210 at pitt.edu Sandra Mitchell, Professor and Department Chair Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh 1017 Cathedral of Learning Pittsburgh, PA 15260 smitchel at pitt.edu Michael Weisberg, Associate Professor Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania 433 Logan Hall Philadelphia, PA 19104 weisberg at phil.penn.edu Mark Wilson, Professor Department of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh 1001 Cathedral of Learning Pittsburgh, PA 15260 mawilson at pitt.edu

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