Category Archives: HPS Live

Roy Sorensen & Michael Weisberg on Idealization in Science

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Bubble Chamber

Idealization is the intentional introduction of distortion into scientific theories. If science aims at the truth, as scientific realists believe, then why are scientific theories routinely idealized? Roy Sorensen and Michael Weisberg debate that on Philosophy TV.

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Science, Policy and the Public

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Bubble Chamber

A panel discussion on The Agenda with Steve Paikin on how informed  the electorate, politicians, and the public are on important scientific issues.

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Clay Shirky on Collective Action in Social Media

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Bubble Chamber

Clay Shirky, author of the book Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations (2008) speaking at Harvard Law School’s Austin Hall on the power of social media in facilitating collective action.

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Interview with Mario Bunge

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Bubble Chamber

In this interview, ninety two year old distinguished philosopher Mario Bunge from McGill University talks about his long career and his philosophy of science.

Part 1:

Continue reading →

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Susan Haack on Scientism and its Discontents

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Bubble Chamber

Does science get more credit than it deserves? Philosopher Susan Haack thinks that it does. In a talk entitled “Six Signs of Scientism” she has recently given at the Rotman School of Philosophy, the University of Western Ontario, she identifies six ways in which science is given too much credence and for the wrong reasons in areas such as law and policy. She explains why, in her view, the question of demarcation between science and non-science is the wrong question to pose, and what role science and scientists should play in public debates.

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Michael Oppenheimer on Scientists’ Engagement with the Public

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Bubble Chamber

Geoscientist Michael Oppenheimer, who is the director of the Program in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy at Princeton University, and one of the authors of the latest IPCC report, gave a talk at the American Geographical Union meeting about the prospects and challenges that scientists who want to engage with public issues relating to their research face.

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Alvin Plantinga on Evolution & Religion

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Bubble Chamber

Distinguished philosopher Alvin Plantinga has recently given a talk at Biola University where he has argued that evolution and Christianity are compatible, and that naturalism and science are actually in conflict with one another.

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Oren Harman: The Price of Altruism

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Bubble Chamber

In his book The Price of Altruism: George Price and the Search for the Origins of Kindness (W. W. Norton, 2010),  historian of science Oren Harman, chair of the STS program at Bar Ilan University, tells the history of the notion of altruism in science in a broad political and cultural context. He  interweaves this history with the personal history of George Price (1922-1975), the eccentric researcher who derived the Price Equation, and took his own life after claiming to realize the grave implications of his equation for human nature.

The New York Times selected the book as one of the 100 notable books of 2010. Harman talks about his book on the popular radio show Radiolab, and in this short video.

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David Christensen and Roy Sorensen Disagreeing on Disagreement

Posted on December 15, 2010 by Bubble Chamber

Can a person rationally maintain her position when she comes to learn that her epistemic peer, who is presumably as competent and knowledgeable as her, holds a contradictory position? This question has recently been at the focus of intense discussion among philosophers. In this video, from Philosophy TV, David Christensen and Roy Sorensen debate it.

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The Great Debate: Can Science Tell Us Right from Wrong?

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Bubble Chamber

An interesting event called “The Great Debate” has been recently held at Arizona State University by the Science Network.  Scientists, philosophers and public intellectuals gathered to discuss the relevance of evolutionary theory and advances in neuroscience to moral theory.

This is the concluding panel. The panelists were psychologist Steven Pinker, author Sam Harris (who was previously featured on the Bubble Chamber), philosopher Patricia Churchland, physicist Lawrence Krauss, philosopher Simon Blackburn, bioethicist Peter Singer and science communicator and psychologist Roger Bingham.
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http://thesciencenetwork.org/programs/the-great-debate
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