Diagrammatic Representations of Biological Mechanisms

University Of California-San Diego, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

Introduction The goal of this project is to generate a philosophical account of the role of diagrams in the life sciences, one that does justice to scientific practice while contributing deeper understanding of explanation and other key concepts in philosophy of science. Diagrams are widely employed in the life sciences for a variety of activities that are directly relevant to philosophy of science such as presenting explanations, developing and revising hypotheses, and reasoning about evidence. Until recently, diagrams were rarely studied by philosophers of science, who mainly focused on linguistically represented laws; however, recent interest in models as vehicles for explanation has created a more receptive context for comprehensive investigation of diagrams. This investigation will focus on the use of diagrams in a specific field of biology, circadian rhythm research by chronobiologists. This is a small recently emerging field for which a relatively comprehensive analysis is feasible; there is ready access to a local community of prominent researchers, and concern with complex molecular mechanisms renders reliance on diagrams extremely important for these researchers. This project will build on recent pioneering efforts in philosophy of science as well as a longer line of research in cognitive science concerning reasoning and problem solving using diagrams. Intellectual Merit Four lines of investigation will be pursued simultaneously and synergistically, each making a distinctive contribution to the project. A taxonomy of diagrams will be developed, beginning with attention to the range of representational devices available and the ways diagrams are used in scientific investigations but adding other dimensions as work proceeds. Second, diagrams used by selected circadian rhythm researchers will be closely examined, with particular attention to the context in which they were developed and used, the differences between diagrams developed by different scientists, and the ways diagrams are revised over time. Third, cognitive science research will be examined, emphasizing the cognitive processes involved in developing, understanding, or reasoning with diagrams and applying this to understanding processes of scientific cognition more specifically. Finally, the analysis of diagrams will be brought to bear on philosophical accounts of explanation, with particular emphasis on how existing accounts of explanation may need to be extended or revised. Potential Broader Impacts The broader impact of this project involves several distinct audiences and their concerns. The most immediate target audience is philosophers of science, for whom the project should demonstrate the crucial and diverse roles played by diagrams in the reasoning and explanatory activities of scientists. This has the potential to expand the scope of current philosophy of science. Second, in addition to drawing upon the results of cognitive scientists the project's focus on particular scientific diagrams should itself contribute to thinking and discourse in cognitive science. Third, chronobiologists and other scientists whose use of diagrams are investigated should gain useful new perspective on their own scientific practices. Finally, the results of this project will be communicated to scientists more generally, especially those with an ongoing interest in new perspectives from philosophy of science, and to educators involved in both college and pre-college science teaching.