3,081 research outputs found
The Meta-Explanatory Question
Philosophical theories of explanation characterize the difference between correct and incorrect explanations. While remaining neutral as to which of these ‘first-order’ theories is right, this paper asks the ‘meta-explanatory’ question: is the difference between correct and incorrect explanation real, i.e., objective or mind-independent? After offering a framework for distinguishing realist from anti-realist views, I sketch three distinct paths to explanatory anti-realism
Trashing life’s tree
Abstract The Tree of Life has traditionally been understood to represent the history of species lineages. However, recently researchers have suggested that it might be better interpreted as representing the history of cellular lineages, some-times called the Tree of Cells. This paper examines and evaluates reasons offered against this cellular interpretation of the Tree of Life. It argues that some such reasons are bad reasons, based either on a false attribution of essentialism, on a misunderstanding of the problem of lineage identity, or on a limited view of sci-entific representation. I suggest that debate about the Tree of Cells and other suc-cessors to the traditional Tree of Life should be formulated in terms of the purposes these representations may serve. In pursuing this strategy, we see that the Tree of Cells cannot serve one purpose suggested for it: as an explanation for the hierar-chical nature of taxonomy. We then explore whether, instead, the tree may play an important role in the dynamic modeling of evolution. As highly-integrated complex systems, cells may influence which lineage components can successfully transfer into them and how they change once integrated. Only if they do in fact have a substantial role to play in this process might the Tree of Cells have some claim to be the Tree of Life
Visions in monochrome: Families, marriage and the individualisation thesis
This paper takes issue with the way in which the individualisation thesis – in which it is assumed that close relationships have become tenuous and fragile - has become so dominant in ‘new’ sociological theorising about family life. Although others have criticised this thesis, in this paper the main criticism derives from empirical research findings carried out with members of transnational families living in Britain whose values and practices do not fit easily with ideas of individualisation. It is argued that we need a much more complex and less linear notion of how families change across generations and in time
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Search for Chargino-Neutralino Associated Production at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider
We have searched in collisions at = 1.8 TeV for events
with three charged leptons and missing transverse energy. In the Minimal
Supersymmetric Standard Model, we expect trilepton events from
chargino-neutralino (\chione \chitwo) pair production, with subsequent decay
into leptons. We observe no candidate , ,
or events in 106 pb integrated
luminosity. We present limits on the sum of the branching ratios times cross
section for the four channels: \sigma_{\chione\chitwo}\cdot
BR(\chione\chitwo\to 3\ell+X) 81.5 \mgev\sp and
M_\chitwo > 82.2 \mgev\sp for , ~\mgev\sp and
M_\squark= M_\gluino.Comment: 9 pages and 3 figure
Search for Narrow Diphoton Resonances and for gamma-gamma+W/Z Signatures in p\bar p Collisions at sqrt(s)=1.8 TeV
We present results of searches for diphoton resonances produced both
inclusively and also in association with a vector boson (W or Z) using 100
pb^{-1} of p\bar p collisions using the CDF detector. We set upper limits on
the product of cross section times branching ratio for both p\bar
p\to\gamma\gamma + X and p\bar p\to\gamma\gamma + W/Z. Comparing the inclusive
production to the expectations from heavy sgoldstinos we derive limits on the
supersymmetry-breaking scale sqrt{F} in the TeV range, depending on the
sgoldstino mass and the choice of other parameters. Also, using a NLO
prediction for the associated production of a Higgs boson with a W or Z boson,
we set an upper limit on the branching ratio for H\to\gamma\gamma. Finally, we
set a lower limit on the mass of a `bosophilic' Higgs boson (e.g. one which
couples only to \gamma, W, and Z$ bosons with standard model couplings) of 82
GeV/c^2 at 95% confidence level.Comment: 30 pages, 11 figure
Measurement of Rapidity Distribution for High Mass Drell-Yan ee Pairs at CDF
We report on the first measurement of the rapidity distribution dsigma/dy
over nearly the entire kinematic region of rapidity for e^+e^- pairs in the
Z-boson region of 66116 GeV/c^2.
The data sample consists of 108 pb^{-1} of ppbar collisions at \sqrt{s}=1.8 TeV
taken by the Collider Detector at Fermilab during 1992--1995. The total cross
section in the -boson region is measured to be 252 +- 11 pb. The measured
total cross section and d\sigma/dy are compared with quantum chromodynamics
calculations in leading and higher orders.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to Physical Review Letter
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