SPSP 2013 Contributed Papers: Explanation in the Biological Sciences
Tweeted from the 4th biennial conference of the Society for Philosophy of Science in Practice in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on June 27, 2013, during Concurrent Sessions III
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Again, I had to make a choice about which of four sessions to attend, and this one drew me in.You might ask, “What happened to Concurrent Sessions II?”
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Didn’t tweet last session at #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto on account of I was in it.
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I know my multi-tasking limits, yo!
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On deck: session of contributed papers on explanation in the biological sciences. #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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First up: Ingo Brigandt, “Systems biology & the limits of philosophical accounts of mechanistic explanation” #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Mechanistic expl’ns – in terms of structural parts and their qualitative interactions #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Systems biology expl’ns are mechanistic (based on molecular data), but mathematical modeling is essential #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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New mechanists haven’t analyzed what a mathematical model adds to explanation #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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There are qualitative explanada requiring a quantitative explanation #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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SOme mechanistic detail should be omitted if not relevant for the explanandum #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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‘Predictive’ effects on molecular manipulations internal to the system (explanation, therapeutic intervention) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Case: development of tooth shape. Gene network->mathematical model (predictions tested against in vivo data) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Activator-inhibitor system abstracts away from some mechanistic detail #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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PDEs, non-linear system: development outcome sensitive to *quantitiative* initial differences #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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To have complete expl’n of development of tooth, need more than mathematical model #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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… also need to get some of the initial parameters right #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Recurring motifs in sea shell coloration pattern (qualitative explanandum) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Spontaneous symmetry breaking: qualitative pattern emerges from nearly homogenous state #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Modeling apoptosis. Math. models oredict the system behavior expt’lly known from mutants w/molec pathway change #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Qual explanadum bistability: alive state (maintained despite noise) vs. apoptosis state (irreversibly executed) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Mech: molecular pathways & mathematical models (PDEs), without which couldn’t find thresholds #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Development of vertebrate somites/segmentation clock. #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Math. model needs to explain how cells components interact over time to generate oscillations of gene activities #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Mech. features like and – feedback loops #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto (Having a flashback to my Chem PhD research!)
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Mech structure gives basic feedback structure, math. model gives dynamics #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Broader conception of mech. expl’n including math. modeling #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Some explanatorily relevant features can only be mathematically/quantitatively represented #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Need to show that explanandum RESULTS from system organization and operation #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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In real mechs, lots of transients, dynamical-functional aspects, dispositional props (robust vs. perturbations) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Next up: Alan C. Love, “The invisibility of scientific practice in interdisciplinary explanations” #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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A Kuhnian worry: revolutions become invisible when described in textbooks, popular presentations #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Points to mismatch between presentation & prosecution of scientific inquiry (Cf. Medawar on scientific paper) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Traditional response: can ignore mismatches b/c of underlying logic of science #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Postulating hidden structure to account for sci reasoning obscures how scientists access it to evaluate reasoning #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Epistemic accessibility (vs. postulated hidden reasoning structure) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Demands descriptive correspondence betw philosophical accts of scientific reasoning & actual scientific practices #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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What happens when scientists can’t access relevant practices 2 evaluate cogency of expl’n or inductive inference? #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Invisible scientific practices can be source of epistemic tensions, conflicts across disciplines #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Reasons for invisibility? Exposure of divergence of standards, context sensitivity of concepts #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Unnecessary & unhelpful distractions #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Particularly interdisciplinary expl’n: recent fossil find arg’d to be 1st evidence of viviparity in plesiosaurs #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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By the way, @edyong209 has a nice write-up on the Science paper in question here.
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Argument drew on different disciplines (ecology, development, systematics) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Arg from fossil depends in part on reconstruction of size of plesiosaur at birth #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Unnec. & unhelpful distractions? No description of embryological practicesr to underwrite ID of poor ossification #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Main support comes from appeal to fossil embryo series in other marine reptiles #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Differing stds of evauation between neontology & paleontology are ignored here #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Claims about K-selection vs. r-selection more heuristic, hard to test, etc. #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Invisibility of practices in interdisciplinary explanation have an impact on its force & cogency #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Invisibility of practices as a problem for scientists AMPLIFIED for philosophers. Practice is hard to see! #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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For the sake of epistemic accessibility, we must focus on interdisciplinary & become interdisciplinary #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Interdisciplinary work more likely to make practices visible due to explicit negotiations #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Once tensions due to invisible practices are made visible, explicated, something can be done about them #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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There are compensatory tactics (e.g., making stds explicit, acknowledging relevant contexts) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Problem: if reading is main way philosophers learn about science, will miss out on lots of the practices #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Developing relationships w/scientists may help (could ask Qs, get feedback from them abt our pictures of science) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Philosophers could learn how to make choices about simplification, etc., from scientists modeling complex systems #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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Tensions might or might not be conflicts; unpacking practices might reveal there’s nothing that needs resolving #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
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