The role of heuristic appraisal in conflicting assessments of string theory

Over the last three decades, string theory has emerged as one of the leading hopes for a consistent theory of quantum gravity that unifies particle physics with general relativity. Despite the fact that string theory has been a thriving research program for the better part of three decades, it has been subjected to extensive criticism from a number of prominent physicists. The aim of this paper is to obtain a clearer picture of where the conflict lies in competing assessments of string theory, through a close reading of the argumentative strategies employed by protagonists on both sides. Although it has become commonplace to construe this debate as stemming from different attitudes to the absence of testable predictions, we argue that this presents an overly simplified view of the controversy, which ignores the critical role of heuristic appraisal. While string theorists and their defenders see the theoretical achievements of the string theory program as providing strong indication that it is ‘on the right track’, critics have challenged such claims, by calling into question the status of certain ‘solved problems’ and its purported ‘explanatory coherence’. The debates over string theory are therefore particularly instructive from a philosophical point of view, not only because they offer important insights into the nature of heuristic appraisal and theoretical progress, but also because they raise deep questions about what constitutes a solved problem and an explanation in fundamental physics.     

Unit cell dimensions of synthetic apatites

Résumé Les paramètres cristallographiques d'un certain nombre d'apatites synthétiques sont indiqués. A l'aide d'études par rayons X ces apatites synthétiques peuvent être distingués les unes des autres.

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The apatite work was supported by Research Grant No. DE-02105-02 of the U.S. Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. I thank Prof.N. Fuson and Prof.J. R. Lawson for their very helpful discussions and encouragement.     

Conceptual approaches to avian navigation systems

Summary The general basis of migratory orientation in birds is most probably an endogenous time-and-direction program. Directions are selected with respect to celestial and geomagnetic clues. Using these clues, a bird may reach a large population-specific area; however, it will hardly be able to find a particular location, for instance its previous breeding site. Homing to a familiar site over several hundred kilometres of unfamiliar terrain appears to be based on the smelling of atmospheric trace compounds. Conceptual approaches to the mechanism of olfactory navigation have as yet only reached an early state of speculation.     

Protein folds: molecular systematics in three dimensions

Advances in methods of structure determination have led to the accumulation of large amounts of protein structural data. Some 500 distinct protein folds have now been characterized, representing one-third of all globular folds that exist. The range of known structural types and the relatively large fraction of the protein universe that has already been sampled have greatly facilitated the discovery of some unifying principles governing protein structure and evolutionary relationships. These include a highly skewed distribution of topological arrangements of secondary-structure elements that favors a few very common connectivities and a highly skewed distribution in the capacity of folds to accommodate unrelated sequences. These and other observations suggest that the number of folds is far fewer than the number of genes, and that the fold universe is dominated by a small number of giant attractors that accommodate large numbers of unrelated sequences. Thus all basic protein folds will likely be determined in the near future, laying the foundation for a comprehensive understanding of the biochemical and cellular functions of whole organisms.     

Unit dimensions and space group of Tl2Cl3

Zusammenfassung Die Struktur von Tl₂Cl₃ gehört wahrscheinlich der Raumgruppe D _3d ² an. Die hexagonale Zelle hat die Dimensionena=14·3 k X,c=25·1 k X und enthält 32 Einheiten Tl₂Cl₃.     

New tools for theory choice and theory diagnosis

Theory choice can be approached in at least four ways. One of these calls for the application of decision theory, and this article endorses this approach. But applying standard forms of decision theory imposes an overly demanding standard of numeric information, supposedly satisfied by point-valued utility and probability functions. To ameliorate this difficulty, a version of decision theory that requires merely comparative utilities and plausibilities is proposed. After a brief summary of this alternative, the article illustrates how comparative decision theory affords a rational reconstruction of decisions made by exemplary scientists in two cases of theory choice: Buffon’s law and the luminiferous ether. It also offers a rational reconstruction of two cases of theory diagnosis: Mendeleev’s anomalies and the Pioneer anomaly.     

Semiconduction theory

Conclusions The semiconducting properties of biomacromolecules are a certainty which cannot be neglected when models are proposed for explaining some biological function such as, enzymatic activity of cytochrome oxidase, olfactory transduction, visual reception, properties of the cellular membranes, etc.^6,7,9. Although a perfect correlation does not yet exist between the results of molecular orbital calculations and experimental data regarding the electrical conduction in proteins and nucleic acids⁹, a profound study on the aspects connected with intrinsic mechanisms of conduction in biomacromolecules, as well as on dependence of electrical properties on the impurities acting in vivo, should increase our understanding of biophysical phenomena.     

Kirchhoff's theory of rods

Communicated by C. Truesdell     

Measuring toxicity in marine environments: critical appraisal of three commonly used methods

Toxicity quantification is important in environmental monitoring, in the field of natural products, and in chemical ecology. The sensitivity and precision of three commonly used methods detecting toxicity in marine environments were compared, using the toxic marine spongeCrambe crambe as a test organism. The paper disk diffusion method (run with marine bacteria) showed the least sensitivity and did not permit toxicity levels to be quantified. The sea urchin and the MICROTOX® tests showed greater sensitivity, and the latter had the higher precision. The relative performance of these methods is discussed. It is concluded that the MICROTOX® bioassay displays the best characteristics for toxicity quantification.     

An appraisal of Mendeleev’s contribution to the development of the periodic table

Historians and philosophers of science generally conceptualize scientific progress to be dichotomous, viz., experimental observations lead to scientific laws, which later facilitate the elaboration of explanatory theories. There is considerable controversy in the literature with respect to Mendeleev’s contribution to the origin, nature, and development of the periodic table. The objectives of this study are to explore and reconstruct: a) periodicity in the periodic table as a function of atomic theory; b) role of predictions in scientific theories and its implications for the periodic table; and c) Mendeleev’s contribution: theory or an empirical law? The reconstruction shows that despite Mendeleev’s own ambivalence, periodicity of properties of chemical elements in the periodic table can be attributed to the atomic theory. It is argued that based on the Lakatosian framework, predictions (novel facts) play an important role in the development of scientific theories. In this context, Mendeleev’s predictions played a crucial role in the development of the periodic table. Finally, it is concluded that Mendeleev’s contribution can be considered as an “interpretative” theory which became “explanatory” after the periodic table was based on atomic numbers.