Rip it up and start again: The rejection of a characterization of a phenomenon

In this paper, I investigate the nature of empirical findings that provide evidence for the characterization of a scientific phenomenon, and the defeasible nature of this evidence. To do so, I explore an exemplary instance of the rejection of a characterization of a scientific phenomenon: memory transfer. I examine the reason why the characterization of memory transfer was rejected, and analyze how this rejection tied to researchers’ failures to resolve experimental issues relating to replication and confounds. I criticize the presentation of the case by Harry Collins and Trevor Pinch, who claim that no sufficient reason was provided to abandon research on memory transfer. I argue that skeptics about memory transfer adopted what I call a defeater strategy, in which researchers exploit the defeasibility of the evidence for a characterization of a phenomenon

Rethinking the Role of Theory in Exploratory Experimentation

To explain their role in discovery and contrast them with theory-driven research, philosophers of science have characterized exploratory experiments in terms of what they lack: namely, that they lack direction from what have been called “local theories” of the target system or object under investigation. I argue that this is incorrect: it’s not whether or not there is direction from a local theory that matters, but instead how such a theory is used to direct an experiment that matters. Appealing to contemporary exploratory experiments that involve the use of experimental techniques – specifically, examples where scientists explore the interaction of neural activity and human behavior by magnetically stimulating brains – I argue that local theories of a target system can inform auxiliary hypotheses in exploratory experiments, which direct these experiments. These examples illustrate how local theories can direct the exploration of target systems where researchers do not aim to evaluate these theories

Rethinking the Role of Theory in Exploratory Experimentation

To explain their role in discovery and contrast them with theory-driven research, philosophers of science have characterized exploratory experiments in terms of what they lack: namely, that they lack direction from what have been called “local theories” of the target system or object under investigation. I argue that this is incorrect: it’s not whether or not there is direction from a local theory that matters, but instead how such a theory is used to direct an experiment that matters. Appealing to contemporary exploratory experiments that involve the use of experimental techniques – specifically, examples where scientists explore the interaction of neural activity and human behavior by magnetically stimulating brains – I argue that local theories of a target system can inform auxiliary hypotheses in exploratory experiments, which direct these experiments. These examples illustrate how local theories can direct the exploration of target systems where researchers do not aim to evaluate these theories

Why studying plant cognition is valuable, even if plants aren’t cognitive

Philosophers and scientists propose the idea that plants are cognitive, which has been met with criticisms. These criticisms focus on the fact that plants do not possess the properties traditionally associated with cognition. By contrast, several proponents introduce novel ways to conceptualize cognition. How should we make sense of this debate? In this paper, I argue that the plant cognition debate is not about whether plants meet a set of well-delineated and agreed-upon criteria according to which they count as cognitive. Rather, many proponents are hypothesizing about cognition. They construe COGNITION not as an expression of what cognition is, but rather as a conjecture about what cognition might be. These conjectures orient research that can uncover novel similarities amongst the phenomena to which these concepts extend. In defending this view, I argue that investigating plant cognition is valuable, even if the results of these investigations lead us to reject the claim that plants are cognitive

Where memory resides: Is there a rivalry between molecular and synaptic models of memory?

Recent proposals that the substrate of memory is molecular raise questions about where this molecular model stands in relation to the dominant synaptic model of memory. In this paper, we address the perceived rivalry between these models and ask whether they can be integrated. We argue that addressing rivalry or integration requires delineating the explananda of synaptic and molecular models, as well as revisiting assumptions about how these models account for their explananda. The perceived rivalry between these models exemplifies epistemic costs that arise when we try to pit explanatory models as rivals or integrate them

Microstructural characterization of AISI 431 martensitic stainless steel laser-deposited coatings

High cooling rates during laser cladding of stainless steels may alter the microstructure and phase constitution of the claddings and consequently change their functional properties. In this research, solidification structures and solid state phase transformation products in single and multi layer AISI 431 martensitic stainless steel coatings deposited by laser cladding at different processing speeds are investigated by optical microscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), orientation imaging microscopy (OIM), ternary phase diagram, Schaeffler and TTT diagrams. The results of this study show how partitionless solidification and higher solidification rates alter the microstructure and phase constitution of martensitic stainless steel laser deposited coatings. In addition, it is shown that while different cladding speeds have no effect on austenite–martensite orientation relationship in the coatings, increasing the cladding speed has resulted in a reduction of hardness in deposited coatings which is in contrast to the common idea about obtaining higher hardness values at higher cladding speeds.

ESTUDO DE CORRELAÇÃO ENTRE INDICADORES DE VELOCIDADE E PERFIL CORPORAL EM VELOCISTAS DE ATLETISMO

No presente trabalho, referente a uma amostra de 30 atletas especialistas em provas de velocidade curta de atletismo, foi efectuado um estudo de correlação entre os níveis de velocidade e o perfil corporal, e inferido até que ponto seria possível prever a performance desportiva na corrida de 100m com base nestes indicadores. Foram encontrados valores para os indicadores de velocidade ligeiramente inferiores aos descritos na literatura internacional, se bem que em termos comparativos com outros dados de nível nacional, a amostra tenha revelado uma qualidade acima da média (7,07 À 0,17seg aos 60m). A partir dos dados obtidos relativamente aos parâmetros corporais, é de referir o predomínio da muscularidade (1,79 À 0,44 - 4,69 À 0,88 - 2,69 À 0,85 somatótipo; 63,91 À 5,53kg MIG), com valores ligeiramente inferiores aos dados de referência de velocistas de nível elevado, e reduzidos valores médios de gordura corporal (9,88 À 1,87 % MG). Os parâmetros corporais contemplados foram, de uma forma geral, pouco significativos para a performance aos 60m, com valores mais elevados de associação registados dos 30 aos 60m, e para o Peso (-0,48), IMC (-0,53), MIG (-0,49) e Mesomorfia (-0,39)