Tag

Philosophy Of Science

All articles tagged with #philosophy of science

science17 days ago•13 min saved

Evolution Over Fixed Laws: The Cosmos Emerges From Change

Biologist Timothy Jackson argues that the laws of physics are not eternal givens but descriptions of patterns that persist in a fundamentally changing, lawless cosmos. In biology, variation is abundant and inherently unpredictable, yet natural selection produces order. Darwin’s insight shows how variation plus selection explains stable patterns without invoking invariant physical laws, urging a shift from physics-dominated thinking to a biologically grounded metaphysics (biologism) to understand how structured order emerges from change.

via IAI TV|

#biology #evolution #metaphysics

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Cosmology Beyond a Theory: The Universe as a History of Ideas

Book review of Helge Kragh’s Universe argues that cosmology is a history of evolving conceptual models—from ancient Greek to modern times—emphasizing that the Universe transcends simple observation and remains partly beyond our grasp, making the field as inspirational as it is incomplete.

via Nature|

#cosmology #helge-kragh #history-of-science

science4 months ago•2 min saved

Are Our Physics Really Universal for Alien Minds?

Whiteson asks whether the laws of physics are truly universal or if alien intellects might derive different principles. While distant observations (e.g., black hole mergers) suggest our physics holds across the cosmos, we can’t assume other civilizations would share the same theories or methods. Some thinkers imagine universal science, but the piece cautions this may reflect human biology and history rather than a single cosmic path; until we meet aliens, we study our local example.

via IAI TV|

#alien-physics #cosmology #philosophy-of-science

science1 year ago•23 min saved

Rethinking the Big Bang: New Doubts on Universe's Origin

The article explores the evolving scientific understanding of the universe's origins, challenging the widely accepted Big Bang theory. Initially proposed by Georges Lemaître, the Big Bang suggests a fiery beginning to the universe, but recent philosophical and scientific insights, including the Malament-Manchak theorem, question whether we can ever truly know if time had a beginning. Despite advances in physics, such as Einstein's theories of relativity, the global structure of spacetime remains elusive, leaving the question of the universe's origin unresolved.

via Aeon|

#big-bang #cosmology #general-relativity

academic-awards2 years ago•1 min saved

"DiFrisco Awarded Popper Prize"

James DiFrisco from the Francis Crick Institute has been awarded the 2023 Popper Prize by the British Journal for the Philosophy of Science for his article on "Toward a Theory of Homology: Development and the De-coupling of Morphological and Molecular Evolution." The prize includes a £500 award, and his work focuses on the relationship between developmental and phylogenetic homology in light of current evidence from developmental and evolutionary genetics and genomics.

via Daily Nous|

#academic-awards #british-journal-for-the-philosophy-of-science #homology

science3 years ago•2 min saved

The Reality of the Sixth Mass Extinction.

The question of whether we are in a sixth mass extinction is complex and lacks a universally agreed-on definition. While some scientists claim we are in a mass extinction due to the rapid rate of species loss, others disagree. Professor Alisa Bokulich of Boston University convened meetings to consider this question and concluded that we are not currently in a mass extinction, but we are in danger of reaching one soon. The spottiness of the fossil record and differing perspectives on measuring extinctions contribute to the debate. The paper provides ideas on how to improve comparisons between the current situation and past extinctions.

via IFLScience|

#biodiversity #fossil-record #mass-extinction