Philosophy of Science in Practice № 6! New (Academic) Year’s Resolutions Interview: L.O.B.S.T.E.R (Limits and Objectivity of Scienti!c Foreknowledge: "e Case of Energy Outlooks) S!""#$ C%&'#$#&(# R#$%&'( Ethical, Legal, & Social Aspects of Science and how Philosophy of Science )ts in Also Featuring: James Griesemer From the Editor " Dear SPSPers, As some of you will (or hopefully will not) realize this edition of our newsletter is late to arrive at your inbox. And this is almost entirely my fault. #ere is simply too much to do. As I write this (from the lobby of the PSA between sessions upstairs and a trip to the Lego store) I am struck by how easy it is to loose oneself in the seemingly endless tasks that need to be accomplished—tasks that do no more than simply keep things on track. I know this theme will be familiar to some of you. My hope is that belated or not the arrival of our beautiful newsletter will serve as a break from these tasks. May it provide an excuse to take a break, learn something new and re$ect on where SPSPer are and what we have accom- plished by ticking things o% those to-do lists. Here is some of what you will &nd inside: ' Mini History of Science lessons on the Tangent Galvanometer and Resistance Box ' Research at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology: LOBSTER—LOVE the acronym ' Academic Resolutions for Graduate Students ' Our own Sabina Leonelli discusses her star worthy ERC grant ' Philosophy of Science and Ethical, Legal and Social Apects ' #e Proust Questionnaire or All you ever wanted to know about James Griesemer ' Information about the 5th SPSP conference in Aarhus over midsummer. Organizers encourage the submission of symposia proposals! Best Wishes, Leah Contents #e Resistance Box " S()*+,/S-../) C0+1/)/+2/ R/(0)34 3 BSPS, Performance Philosophy, Medicine Epidemiology & Healthcare, Genetics Pedagogies Project L.O.B.S.T.E.R (KIT) on the P/S/P Question 6 (043,)564: N/7 A256/.*2 Y/5)’4 R/408-3*0+4 7 #e Epistemology of Data-Intensive Science 9 Sabina Leonelli & Leah McClimans ELSI & Philosophy of Science in Practice Sophia Efstathiou 11 James Griesemer takes our Proust Questionaire 13 SPSP 2015: !arhus 14 Is that a Philosopher or a Hipster? 15 "Contributors Leah McClimans Sophia Efstathiou Jordan Bartol University of South Carolina Norwegian University of University of Leeds Department of Philosophy Science & Technology t Editor-at-Large, Design t t &EJUPSJO$IJFGt t &EJUPSt Laszlo Kosolosky Mike Finn Liz Irvine Federica Russo Ghent University University of Leeds Australian Free University of Brussels Centre for Logic and Director: Museum of National University Philosophy of Science the History of Science, Technology and Medicine Signs to Symbols Project On the Cover: Tangent Galvanometer A galvanometer is an instrument used to detect and measure electric currents. Developed in the 1820s, they were named after Luigi Galvani, the 18th – what we would now call bioelectricity – in organic bodies. At their most basic, galvanometers consist of a coil adjacent to a magnetic needle, which rests on a pivot and is free to move along a calibrated scale. When current direct proportion to the current, and this interacts with, and moves, the needle. Tangent galvanometers were an early form of this type of instrument. In these, the current is carried through a coil that winds through a non-magnetic copper pipe, encircling the device perpendicular to the ground, with the rotating needle sitting in the middle. of the compass needle, and the diffraction of the needle from the plane of the tangent of the angle between The circular metal feet below the base of the device are levelling screws, used to ensure that the plane of the coil is perpendicular to the ground. Where the stem meets the placing it at the local magnetic meridian. Many galvanometers were The copper circle at the centre of the device is a compass with a The compass must be in the direct centre of a perfectly spherical coil, The device on the cover was made by Elliott Brothers,a London based instrument maker, ca. 1890. It was design for classroom demonstration. The illustration on the left comes from a textbook from that same period. Elroy M. Avery School Physics (New York: Sheldon & Co., 1895) 525. 9 !e Resistance Box combinations, in steps of 1 ohm, any Like the galvanometer [cover], resistance from 0 to several hundred resistance boxes such as this would can be created by the box. have once formed a standard part of Controlling resistance in an electrical the set up in physics laboratories. As circuit is important, particularly a consequence, they are now very when trying to measure the current or well represented in historical science unknown resistance of another object, collections. as in a famous ‘Wheatstone Bridge’ !ese devices allowed operators to circuit. add resistance into an electrical circuit !is model, from the early 20th in speci"c, discrete amounts, by the century, was used in teaching physics removal or insertion of the various at the University of Leeds, and its well- plugs sticking out of the top. worn exterior suggests it was in use well Hidden inside the box is series of wire into the second half of the century. Over coils made of alloyed metal, wound time this ‘plug’ type of resistance box so as to produce a speci"c resistance. was replaced by instruments simpler to Each coil, hanging underneath, use, with movable dials or, eventually, drawing : Hawkins Electrical Guide spanned a gap between brass pieces digital controls. Such developments, (1917), Vol. 2, Theo Audel & Co., p.480 embedded in the top of the box. though, mean the working parts of the When a plug was inserted in the gap, instrument become even more ‘hidden’ current #owed normally; but when inside. the plug was removed, current #owed Mike Finn through the resistance coil. By di$erent ? itself was an excellent bal- elenchus and psychoanalytic Talk of the Town ance. Biology, physics, process, where audience chemistry, economics, and members asked a volun- From national meetings to intimate medicine all received their teer questions designed to workshops, our team has the details due, as did topics in the elicit their ‘personal cos- general philosophy of sci- mology’ –an interesting BRITISH SOCIETY FOR information with the ence. #ere was also a wide process where one could see THE PHILOSOPHY OF debate on biologi- variety of approaches, from how di%erent interlocutors’ SCIENCE cal causality was well traditional metaphysics to personalities were publicly Fitzwilliam College, received, leading to a lively naturalized metaphysics, performed through Q and Cambridge opening discussion. #e from conceptual analysis A, with boundaries drawn 10-11 July day was capped by Peter to methodological analysis. so that questions were not #e 2014 British Society Clark’s presidential address, #e BSPSs policy of keep- of a personal but rather of a for the Philosophy of Science on logic, mathematics, and ing a small selective confer- philosophical nature. Danae Annual Conference brought intuition. A;er an OUP- ence with thorough abstract #eodoridou and Konstan- us to Fitzwilliam College, sponsored drinks reception, review continues to deliver tina Georgelou used post-it Cambridge, in early July. dinner, and an irresponsibly a balanced and interesting notes posted on people to #is year’s BSPS was part of late night at the Fitzwilliam programme. help us group into teams of a trio of events for the col- College pub (for some), day Jordan Bartol like-thinking participants lege. #e BSPS was followed two was quickly upon us. and re$ect on what is miss- by the 88th Joint Session Laura Ruetsche and PERFORMANCE ing from modern univer- of the Aristotelian Society Christopher Pincock took PHILOSOPHY sity education. We created and the Mind Association, to the podium for day two’s SCHOOL OF a poster and presented it to which was itself followed plenary sessions. Ruetsche ATHENS the rest of the group –our by the annual conference of addressed naturalistic in- Athens, Greece team proposing that we do the British Society for Ethi- terpretations of quantum 15-16 March pop-up Ignorance lectures, cal #eory. An impressive mechanics. Attendees of Performance Philosophy where we tell students what number of philosophers philosophy of science confer- is a community for people we know we do not know... stuck around for the Joint ences who have not brushed interested in performance In their workshop later that Session and, rumour has it, up on their interpretations of arts and philosophy and in day John Blamey and Stella a few even went for the full quantum mechanics know how philosophy can be en- Dimitrakopoulou urged triple. how di:cult these talks can gaged through performance. participants to perform Plenary sessions at the be, but Ruetsche delivered #e workshop was organ- (and think about) truth: Not BSPS are always well at- an incredibly accessible yet ised by Stefania Mylona in easier for dancers to specify tended. Paul Gri:ths set detailed and careful paper, collaboration with Michael than it is for logicians and the pace with a discussion which was followed by ques- Kliën and in association perhaps tellingly so. Mim- of genetic causation. His tions from philosophers with Performance Philoso- icking each other’s gestures, ambitious attempt to com- across sub-&elds. Likewise phy that took place at the for instance, conveyed and bine the debate on genetic Pincock’s talk on inference space of Ε.Δ.Ω. in Athens. undermined what might to the best #e workshop started o% pass for a ‘correspondence’ explanation through conversations theory of truth at the same seemed to between an analytic phi- time.