Showing papers by "Trevor Pinch published in 1985"

Towards an Analysis of Scientific Observation: The Externality and Evidential Significance of Observational Reports in Physics:

Abstract: In this paper a new schema for the analysis of scientific observation is proposed. The concepts of `externality' and `evidential' context of observational reports are introduced. The degree of externality of reports is shown to be related to the specificity of the evidential context. Attention is drawn to how the new concepts differ from traditional issues raised by the problem of the theory-ladenness of observations. The analysis is illustrated by reference to the detection of solar neutrinos and measurements of solar oblateness. Detailed studies of these cases reveal how the externality and evidential context shifts during the course of observational disputes. Some of the consequences of the new schema for the analysis of scientific language, access to experimental data, and black-box instrumentation are developed.

Betrayers of the Truth – Fraud and Deceit in Science

Abstract: W Broad and N Wade 1985 Oxford: Oxford University Press 256 pp price £3.95 (paperback) ISBN 0 19 281889 9 This is a lively account by two science journalists of several notorious cases of self-delusion, plagiarism and outright fraud in science. It is argued that these form the tip of an iceberg of undiscovered fraud and that aspects of modern science, such as the literature explosion and funding and career pressures, make fraud more likely and harder to detect.

Observer la nature ou observer les instruments

Abstract: Dans cet article, un nouveau schema est propose pour l'analyse des observations scientifiques. Il s'agit de mesurer le degre d'exteriorite des observations faites. Une attention speciale est apportee a des concepts assez differents de ceux utilises habituellement, en particulier l'idee que les observations dependent des theories. Deux exemples sont choisis, celui de la mesure des neutrinos solaires et celui de l'aplatissement du soleil. Selon l'intensite des controverses, les observations sont rapportees soit a la nature de l'instrument, soit a celle des objets. L'article examine cette facon de voir a propos du langage scientifique de la notion de « boite noire » et de l'acces aux donnees experi-mentales.