Doctoral Dissertation Research: Historical and Philosophical Analysis of the Genetic Maps in Seymour Benzer's Research on Genetic Fine Structure

博士论文研究：Seymour Benzer遗传精细结构研究中遗传图谱的历史和哲学分析

• 批准号: 1230201
• 负责人: Sandra Mitchell
• 金额: $ 1.09万
• 依托单位: University of Pittsburgh
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-08-01 至 2013-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1230201&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Historical; Philosophical

IntroductionModels are widely used tools in biological research, but their uses by biologists in their day-to-day research activities are not well understood. What roles do models play in everyday research? Should we think of models as serving various aims in science or as serving some overarching aim despite the apparent diversity of their uses? This project will address these questions by developing a case study of Seymour Benzer's uses of genetic maps, meaning diagrammatic models of genes, in his research during the 1950s and 1960s on the fine scale structure of genes.Intellectual MeritThe project analyzes Benzer's research notebooks and correspondence at the Caltech Archives, extending the existing work on Benzer's research. Using the detailed account of scientific practice generated from the archival research, the project will explore possible philosophical perspectives on the aims of models and identify a perspective that is well motivated by the detailed analysis of the uses of genetic maps. The project will thus enrich a long-standing debate in general philosophy of science over positions regarding the aims of science.Potential Broader ImpactsThe project will address diverse concerns of researchers in history, cognitive science, and philosophy. First, from the historical analysis of Benzer's genetic maps, historians will be able to gain a detailed understanding of what the maps did in the everyday research of one of the key figures in the history of genetics. Second, since genetic maps are diagrammatic models drawn on paper, those historians interested in similar tools in other sciences may gain a new perspective on their own work. Third, the study of Benzer's notebooks may also uncover novel cognitive phenomena that may become the subject of future studies in cognitive science. Finally, by firmly grounding a philosophical debate over models in the details of a biologist's practice, this project has the potential to transform this debate in philosophy of science.

模型是生物学研究中广泛使用的工具，但是生物学家在日常研究活动中对模型的使用还不是很了解。模型在日常研究中扮演什么角色？我们应该认为模型服务于科学中的各种目标，还是服务于某些总体目标，尽管它们的用途明显多样化？该项目将通过发展Seymour Benzer在20世纪50年代和60年代对基因精细尺度结构的研究中使用基因图谱（即基因的图解模型）的案例研究来解决这些问题。该项目分析了本泽尔在加州理工学院档案馆的研究笔记和通信，扩展了本泽尔的现有研究工作。利用档案研究中产生的科学实践的详细描述，该项目将探索关于模型目标的可能的哲学观点，并确定一个由基因图谱使用的详细分析所激发的观点。因此，该项目将丰富长期以来关于科学目标立场的一般科学哲学辩论。潜在的广泛影响该项目将解决历史、认知科学和哲学研究人员的各种问题。首先，从对本泽尔基因图谱的历史分析中，历史学家将能够详细了解这些图谱在遗传学史上关键人物之一的日常研究中所起的作用。其次，由于基因图谱是绘制在纸上的图解模型，那些对其他科学中类似工具感兴趣的历史学家可能会对他们自己的工作获得新的视角。第三，对本泽尔笔记的研究也可能揭示新的认知现象，这些现象可能成为未来认知科学研究的主题。最后，通过在生物学家实践的细节中牢固地建立关于模型的哲学辩论，该项目有可能改变科学哲学中的这种辩论。