Bio-techno-practice. Personal and social responsibility in the academic work

The new challenges posed by biomedicine and biotechnologies ask for a deeper consideration on the relationship among science, knowledge and social responsibility. On one hand, in fact, technologies seem to shape our idea of human progress and scientific understanding of the natural world and of life in particular. On the other hand, a thoughtful consideration on the philosophical foundations of science as human enterprise is required. This also opens important questions about the new emerging paradigms of ‘excellence’ in the academic, social and market fields and on the role that universities play in training the future leaders and professionals of our society. After a short review of the contemporary philosophical reflections on the unity of knowledge, which is the origin and the goal of academic work, we argue that adherence to our current challenges through the bio-techno-practice prism is a fecund driving force of the academic activities. Moving from the experience of an international project, we also discuss the impact that such interdisciplinary activities have on what we call hidden curriculum, i.e. the embodied style of (skills that allow) people in taking care of each other in their physical, social, professional and scientific needs

What and How do Cancer Systems Biologists Explain?

In this article, we argue, first, that there are very different research projects that fall under the heading of “systems biology of cancer.” While they share some general features, they differ in their aims and theoretical commitments. Second, we argue that some explanations in systems biology of cancer are concerned with properties of signaling networks (such as robustness or fragility) and how they may play an important causal role in patterns of vulnerability to cancer. Further, some systems biological explanations are compelling illustrations of how “top-down” and “bottom-up” approaches to the same phenomena may be integrated

The pursuit of knowledge and the problem of the unconceived alternatives

In the process of scientific discovery, knowledge ampliation is pursued by means of non-deductive inferences. When ampliative reasoning is performed, probabilities cannot be assigned objectively. One of the reasons is that we face the problem of the unconceived alternatives: we are unable to explore the space of all the possible alternatives to a given hypothesis, because we do not know how this space is shaped. So, if we want to adequately account for the process of knowledge ampliation, we need to develop an account of the process of scientific discovery which is not exclusively based on probability calculus. We argue that the analytic view of the method of science advocated by Cellucci is interestingly suited to this goal, since it rests on the concept of plausibility. In this perspective, in order to account for how probabilities are in fact assigned in uncertain contexts and knowledge ampliation is really pursued, we have to take into account plausibility-based considerations

A Philosophical Approach for a Human-centered Explainable AI

Requests for technical specifications on the notion of explainability of AI are urgent, although the definitions proposed are sometimes confusing. It is clear from the available literature that it is not easy to provide explicit, discrete and general criteria according to which an algorithm can be considered explainable, especially regarding the issue of trust in the human-machine relationship. The question of black boxes has turned out to be less obvious than we initially thought. In this position paper, we will propose a critical analysis of two approaches to Explainable AI, a technically-oriented one and a human centered model. The aim is to highlight the epistemological gaps underlying these proposals. Through a philosophical approach, a new starting point for Explainable AI related studies will be handed out, which will eventually be able to hold together the technical limits set by algorithms and the instances of a human-centric approach

Understanding Musical Consonance and Dissonance: Epistemological Considerations from a Systemic Perspective

Different accounts have been given in order to face the problem of the emergence of musical consonance and dissonance. Getting a more adequate comprehension of such phenomenology may require a systemic view to integrate such multidimensionality into a unitary picture in which every partial solution enlightens a particular aspect of the very same problem. Such a systemic viewpoint shifts the focus from different explanations to analytic dimensions that seem to be embedded in music perception. Taking into consideration these dimensions means understanding consonance and dissonance in an embodied context, in which arithmetic, physics, psychology and physiology are part of a complex and dynamic process of understanding, which is not reducible to any privileged explanatory level

Rethinking “digital”: a genealogical enquiry into the meaning of digital and its impact on individuals and society

In the current social and technological scenario, the term digital is abundantly used with an apparently transparent and unambiguous meaning. This article aims to unveil the complexity of this concept, retracing its historical and cultural origin. This genealogical overview allows to understand the reason why an instrumental conception of digital media has prevailed, considering the digital as a mere tool to convey a message, as opposed to a constitutive conception. The constitutive conception places the digital phenomenon in the broader ground of media studies, and it considers digital technologies as an interface between the subject and the world. In this perspective, the media is not added to the experience of the person, but it shapes it from within on a cognitive, expressive and communicative level. The article makes use of two powerful examples to show the shortcomings of an instrumental conception of the digital, and to affirm the value of a constitutive conception for current media studies regarding digital interfaces

Scientific community and civil protection synergy during the Stromboli 2002-03 eruption

The eruption of Stromboli 2002-03, thanks to its complex scenario (flank instability, tsunami, necessity to rapidly upgrade monitoring networks) has provided an important opportunity to verify the response of the national system of civil protection to volcanic emergencies. In particular, it has tested and validated the model of collaboration, in use by Italian law, between the Department of Civil Protection and the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. This synergy has enabled a better understanding and ability to tackle the eruptive crisis from its first stages, as well as implement monitoring systems both dependably and swiftly. In this work, the numerous first monitoring tasks carried out during the critical initial stages of the eruption are described, and the activities and planned action are reported over the course of the eruption that has made Stromboli one of the best monitored volcanoes not only in Italy but throughout the world