2,603 research outputs found
Varieties of Exploratory Experimentation in Nanotoxicology
There has been relatively little effort to provide a systematic overview of different forms of exploratory experimentation (EE). The present paper examines the growing subdiscipline of nanotoxicology and suggests that it illustrates at least four ways that researchers can engage in EE: searching for regularities; developing new techniques, simulation models, and instrumentation; collecting and analyzing large swaths of data using new experimental strategies (e.g., computer-based simulation and âhigh-throughputâ instrumentation); and structuring an entire disciplinary field around exploratory research agendas. In order to distinguish these and other activities more effectively, the paper proposes a taxonomy that includes three dimensions along which types of EE vary: (1) the aim of the experimental activity, (2) the role of theory in the activity, and (3) the methods or strategies employed for varying experimental parameters
A Case for Caution: An Evaluation of Calabrese and Baldwin\u27s Studies of Chemical Hormesis
Suggesting a need for more research, Mr. Elliott argues that it is too soon for risk-assessment policy to account for recent challenges to a toxicological linear dose-response assumption
Roles for Socially Engaged Philosophy of Science in Environmental Policy
In recent years, philosophers of science have taken renewed interest in pursuing scholarship that is âsocially engaged.â As a result, this scholarship has become increasingly relevant to public policy. In order to illustrate the ways in which the philosophy of science can inform public policy, this chapter focuses specifically on environmental research and policy. It shows how philosophy can assist with environmental policy making in three ways: (1) clarifying the roles of values in policy-relevant science; (2) addressing scientific dissent, especially in response to âhot-buttonâ policy issues; and (3) responding thoughtfully to scientific uncertainty
Varieties of Exploratory Experimentation in Nanotoxicology
There has been relatively little effort to provide a systematic overview of different forms of exploratory experimentation (EE). The present paper examines the growing subdiscipline of nanotoxicology and suggests that it illustrates at least four ways that researchers can engage in EE: searching for regularities; developing new techniques, simulation models, and instrumentation; collecting and analyzing large swaths of data using new experimental strategies (e.g., computer-based simulation and âhigh-throughputâ instrumentation); and structuring an entire disciplinary field around exploratory research agendas. In order to distinguish these and other activities more effectively, the paper proposes a taxonomy that includes three dimensions along which types of EE vary: (1) the aim of the experimental activity, (2) the role of theory in the activity, and (3) the methods or strategies employed for varying experimental parameters
Roles for Socially Engaged Philosophy of Science in Environmental Policy
In recent years, philosophers of science have taken renewed interest in pursuing scholarship that is âsocially engaged.â As a result, this scholarship has become increasingly relevant to public policy. In order to illustrate the ways in which the philosophy of science can inform public policy, this chapter focuses specifically on environmental research and policy. It shows how philosophy can assist with environmental policy making in three ways: (1) clarifying the roles of values in policy-relevant science; (2) addressing scientific dissent, especially in response to âhot-buttonâ policy issues; and (3) responding thoughtfully to scientific uncertainty
Numerical investigation of highly curved turbulent flows in centrifugal compressors and in a simplified geometry
Curvature effects are investigated in terms of a recently developed curvature corrected turbulence model in turbomachinery applications. Two centrifugal compressor stages and a curved geometry modelled after a centrifugal impeller are simulated using the curvature corrected SST (SST-CC) turbulence model. This work improves the understanding of how the SST-CC model predicts curvature effects. An analysis of the SST-CC production multiplier in both centrifugal cases reveals that the model is appropriately accounting for curvature effects, showing increased production near concave surfaces and decreased production near convex surfaces. This correlates well with the simplified geometry results and demonstrates that the simplified geometry is successfully capturing the curvature effects of the centrifugal stages. A detailed investigation of turbulence quantities in the simplified geometry further demonstrated how curvature effects are predicted by the SST-CC model. Future work will include experimentation on the 1C stage and further comparison with numerical results
Conceptual Clarification and Policy-Related Science: The Case of Chemical Hormesis
This paper examines the epistemological warrant for a toxicological phenomenon known as chemical hormesis. First, it argues that conceptual confusion contributes significantly to current disagreements about the status of chemical hormesis as a biological hypothesis. Second, it analyzes seven distinct concepts of chemical hormesis, arguing that none are completely satisfactory. Finally, it suggests three ramifications of this analysis for ongoing debates about the epistemological status of chemical hormesis. This serves as a case study supporting the value of philosophical methodologies such as conceptual clarification for addressing contemporary scientific disputes, including policy-related scientific disputes that may be heavily influencedby social and political factors
Democracy and the Epistemic Limits of Markets
A recent line of argument insists that replacing democracy with markets would improve social decision making due to marketsâ superior use of knowledge. These arguments are flawed by unrealistic assumptions, unfair comparisons, and a neglect of the epistemic limits of markets. In reality, the epistemic advantages of markets over democracy are circumscribed and often illusory. A recognition of marketsâ epistemic limits can, however, provide guidance for designing institutions in ways that capture the advantages of both
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