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History and Philosophy of Science

The examination of scientific development, methodology, and epistemology across history, analyzing how scientific knowledge is constructed, validated, and changes over time, including the social and cultural contexts of scientific practice

5 papers

Papers

The sugar industry's efforts to manipulate research on fluoride effectiveness and toxicity: a ninety-year history

This paper presents a historical analysis, revealing that for nearly a century, the sugar industry manipulated scientific research to promote fluoride's effectiveness and downplay its harms, primarily to deflect blame for tooth decay. These manipulative tactics were later adopted by other industries, including tobacco, and continue to influence fluoride science and public health policy today through industry-funded groups. The research relies on extensive archival records to detail these efforts.

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History and Philosophy of Science Oct 01, 11:36 AM

Open Questions about Time and Self-reference in Living Systems

This paper proposes a theoretical framework for understanding how living systems use 'representational time' to navigate self-reference and self-modification, suggesting that these are key features of living systems, not problems to be avoided. The paper relies heavily on philosophical arguments and lacks significant empirical evidence. Further research is needed to develop formal tools and models to test the proposed framework.

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History and Philosophy of Science Aug 18, 10:56 AM

Model Evaluation: An Adequacy-for-Purpose View

The paper argues for an "adequacy-for-purpose" view of model evaluation, where a model's quality is assessed based on its suitability for specific purposes rather than solely on its representational accuracy. It introduces two notions of adequacy (success in a particular use and reliability in a type of use) and highlights how user, methodology, and circumstances influence a model's adequacy.

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History and Philosophy of Science Jul 14, 06:45 AM

UNCOVERING THE DOUAI FRAGMENT: COMPOSING POLYPHONY AND ENCODING A COMPOSER IN THE LATE FOURTEENTH CENTURY

The Douai fragment, a collection of 14th-century musical pieces, contains a unique motet, "Ferre solet," which reveals its composer (Frater Johannes Vavassoris) and composition date (1373) through encoded acrostics. The fragment also sheds light on musical practices of the time, including notation, composition techniques, and the potential function of solus tenors.

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History and Philosophy of Science Jul 14, 06:45 AM

Pandemics and the politics of difference: rewriting the history of internationalism through nineteenth-century cholera

This historical analysis uses 19th-century cholera epidemics to highlight how pandemics expose and exacerbate existing social inequalities and political hierarchies. International responses to cholera, while framed as cooperative, often prioritized the interests of powerful nations and empires, particularly European powers, at the expense of others, especially those in the Ottoman empire.

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History and Philosophy of Science Jul 14, 06:44 AM