Human Computers as Instruments

人类计算机作为仪器

• 批准号: AH/X008657/1
• 负责人: Ana-Maria Cretu
• 金额: $ 25.86万
• 依托单位: University of Bristol
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FX008657%2F1
• 关键词: Human; Computers; Instruments

To understand how science works we need to understand how scientific knowledge is produced. This requires investigating both the roles of human beings who reduce, analyse, and interpret the data as well as how data is produced by instruments and experiments. The project undertakes a novel and interdisciplinary inquiry into the epistemic roles of the people historically reduced and analysed data in large-scale scientific enterprises before the advent of digital computers. In particular, the project investigates the epistemic roles of C1-the scanners within the Bristol Nuclear Research Group 1935-1955 and C2-the human computers at the Harvard Observatory 1880-1920. Both scanners and human computers were women, from relatively poor backgrounds, who were employed as 'unskilled' workers to 'mindlessly' analyse the data, being regarded as 'ideal' candidates for making discovery and scientific knowledge 'more objective'. But were these 'hidden figures' merely 'mindless machines'? The particular philosophical value of the comparison between C1 and C2 consists in: a) identification of novel objectivity norms; and b) analysis of the dynamics between scientific discovery and credit and authorship. Additionally, the comparison is valuably contrastive in that the data analysed is significantly different: the scanners specialised in the detection of cosmic particles within photographic emulsions plates, whereas the human computers specialised in the identification of the spectral characteristics of stars and their classification.The Human Computers as Instruments project will furnish analytical and ethical tools for a) the philosophical and normative assessment of epistemic work and epistemic injustice within large scale collaborations; b) the re-appraisal of norms of scientific objectivity and scientific discovery; c) the regulation and communication of credit, authorship, and reward systems in science and d) the engagement of the public in more complex narratives of instrumentation and experimentation, scientific discovery, and reward systems in science.This project will provide an essential platform for a better understanding of how scientific knowledge is produced and legitimised in large scale collaborations, as well as of how scientific credit is apportioned in such scientific enterprises. This will be invaluable for future philosophical and historical work which investigates how scientific knowledge is produced and legitimised in i) other nuclear emulsions and bubble chamber projects which hired scanners (e.g. the UCL Emulsion Group and Bubble Chamber Group 1955-1975, the Brookhaven National Laboratory); other Observatories or enterprises which hired human computers (e.g. the Edinburgh Observatory mid 19th to mid 20th centuries, NACA/NASA 1940-1965); as well as iii) contemporary large-scale scientific projects such as big science2 enterprises (e.g. CERN) or citizen science3 projects (e.g. the Hubble Asteroid Hunter project).

要了解科学是如何运作的，我们需要了解科学知识是如何产生的。这需要调查减少、分析和解释数据的人的角色，以及数据是如何由仪器和实验产生的。该项目进行了一项新颖的跨学科研究，探讨了在数字计算机出现之前，大规模科学企业中历史上减少和分析数据的人的认知角色。该项目特别研究了c1（1935-1955年布里斯托尔核研究小组的扫描仪）和c2（1880-1920年哈佛天文台的人类计算机）的认知作用。扫描仪和人工计算机都是女性，她们的背景相对贫穷，她们被雇佣为“不熟练的”工人，“无意识地”分析数据，被认为是使发现和科学知识“更客观”的“理想”候选人。但是这些“隐藏的人物”仅仅是“没有头脑的机器”吗？比较C1和C2的特殊哲学价值在于：a)确定新的客观性规范；b)科学发现与信用和作者之间的动态分析。此外，这种对比是有价值的，因为所分析的数据有很大的不同：扫描仪专门用于探测照相乳剂板内的宇宙粒子，而人类计算机专门用于识别恒星的光谱特征及其分类。“人类计算机作为工具”项目将为以下方面提供分析和伦理工具：a)在大规模合作中对认知工作和认知不公正进行哲学和规范评估；B)对科学客观性和科学发现规范的重新评价；C)科学中信用、作者身份和奖励制度的监管和沟通；d)公众参与更复杂的仪器和实验、科学发现和科学奖励制度的叙述。这个项目将提供一个重要的平台，以便更好地理解科学知识是如何在大规模合作中产生和合法化的，以及科学信用是如何在这类科学企业中分配的。这对于未来的哲学和历史工作将是无价的，这些工作将调查科学知识是如何产生和合法化的：1)其他雇用扫描仪的核乳剂和气泡室项目（例如1955-1975年伦敦大学学院乳剂组和气泡室组，布鲁克海文国家实验室）；其他天文台或雇用人工电脑的企业（例如19世纪中期至20世纪中期的爱丁堡天文台，NACA/NASA 1940-1965）；以及当代大型科学项目，如大型科学企业（如欧洲核子研究中心）或公民科学项目（如哈勃小行星猎人项目）。