A Holistic Understanding of Scientific Methodology: The Cases of the CMS and OPERA Experiments

Author:

Mate Shonkholen1

Affiliation:

1. IIT Bombay , Mumbai , India

Abstract

Abstract Philosophers of science are divided over the interpretations of scientific normativity. Larry Laudan defends a sort of goal-directed rules for scientific methodology. In contrast, Gerard Doppelt thinks methodological rules are a mixed batch of rules in that some are goal-oriented hypothetical rules and others are goal-independent categorical rules. David Resnik thinks that the debate between them is at a standstill now. He further thinks there are certain rules, such as the rule of consistency which is goal independent. However, he proposes a holistic understanding of the scientific methodology. Taking a thread from Resnik, the present paper also advocates a holistic understanding of the scientific methodology. Given that many scientific practices deal with systems, the focus will be given to the systems by assuming each as a constellation of methodological norms. By taking each system as a set of mutually supportive methodological rules whose instrumental values underwrite the coherence relation among them, the paper aims to provide what could be a viable holistic epistemological account that can explain scientific normativity at work in a scientific system. The paper will lay down specific holistic criteria for understanding the scientific methodology. They will be used to show how a holistic account could satisfactorily account for the success of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment in discovering the Higgs boson and how the holistic account can account for the instrumental error behind the apparent faster-than-light neutrino anomaly of the Oscillation Project with Emulsion-t Racking Apparatus (OPERA) experiments respectively.

Publisher

Walter de Gruyter GmbH

Reference37 articles.

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2. Adam, T., and OPERA Collaboration. 2012. “Measurement of the Neutrino Velocity with the OPERA Detector in the CNGS Beam.” Journal of High Energy Physics 93 (2012).

3. Adamson, P., and MINOS Collaboration. 2007. “Measurement of Neutrino Velocity with the Minos Detectors and Numi Neutrino Beam.” Physics Reviews D. 76 (7): 072005.

4. Agafonova, N., and OPERA Collaboration. 2011. “Study of Neutrino Interactions with the Electronic Detectors of the OPERA Experiment.” New Journal of Physics 13 (5): 053051.

5. Bertolin, A., and N. T. Tran. 2009. OpCarac: An Algorithm for the Classification of the Neutrino Interactions Recorded by OPERA. OPERA Public Note 100. http://operaweb.lngs.infn.it:2080/Opera/publicnotes/note100.pdf.

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