Creativity & Representing in Science: A Cognitive-Historical Analysis

纳塞森博士正在解决科学技术研究领域的一个核心问题：在科学革命中，新的概念结构是如何出现的。哲学家和科学史家在这个问题上一直存在分歧：一些人认为科学概念的变化是突然发生的，通常是心理上的完形转换；另一些人则认为变化是在很长一段时间内持续发生的。该项目旨在展示如何通过将短期认知或心理方法与长期历史方法相结合，实现对概念变化的更精确理解。它这样做是基于两个前提。首先，现有文献表明，科学概念的变化很少是突然的，如果有的话。因此，为了理解观念变化的演变，历史的时间视角是必要的。第二，科学概念的变化源于日常思维；科学家的代表性和解决问题的实践以及普通认知资源的发展和完善。本研究通过应用一种新的跨学科方法，将两种通常分开的方法的资源结合起来，该方法将现代认知分析工具部署在对主要概念创新负责的理论和实验实践的精细结构长期检查中。

Dr. Nersessian is addressing a central question in the area of science and technology studies: how do new conceptual structures emerge in scientific revolutions. Philosophers and historians of science have been divided on the issue: some have viewed conceptual change in science as occurring suddenly, often as a psychological Gestalt switch; others have viewed change as extended over a long period of time. This project seeks to show how a more refined understanding of conceptual change can be achieved by combining the short-term cognitive -- or psychological -- approach with the long-term historical one. It does so on the basis of two premises. First, the extant literature has demonstrated that conceptual change in science is rarely, if ever, sudden. Hence, in order to understand the evolution of conceptual change, the temporal perspective of history is needed. Second, conceptual change in science has its roots in ordinary thinking; the representational and problem-solving practices of scientists and outgrowths and refinements of ordinary cognitive resources. This investigation unites the resources of two methods normally kept separate by applying a new interdisciplinary method that deploys modern tools of cognitive analysis in fine-structure long- term examinations of theoretical and experimental practices responsibly for major conceptual innovations.