The Center for Philosophy of Science invites you to our Featured Former Fellow Lecture presented by: \; \;
\n\nMarch 8 @ 12:00 pm \;- \;1:30 pm \;EST
\nTitle: \;Is It the Same Experimental Result? Replication in Physics
\nAbstract:
\nOne of the interesting issues in the philosophy of experiment is that of the replicability of experimental results. The scientific community enthusiastically endorses the idea that &ldquo\;Replication &ndash\; the confirmation of results and conclusions from one study obtained independently in another is considered the scientific gold standard.&rdquo\; The underlying argument for this is that if an experiment has succeeded in revealing a real phenomenon or accurately measuring a quantity then that success should reappear when the experiment is repeated under the same circumstances or when it is reproduced in a different experiment. There are\, however\, questions about whether this standard is universally\, or even typically\, applied. There are also questions concerning what constitutes a successful or failed replication.
\nIn this paper I will discuss two clear examples of successful replications: The discovery of the Higgs boson and the detection of gravitational radiation. Two failed replications will also be presented: early experiments on the Fifth Force\, a proposed modification of Newton&rsquo\;s Law of Gravity\; and attempts to measure G\, the universal gravitational constant in Newton&rsquo\;s law. More complex episodes in which the success or failure of replication was not clear will also be discussed. These include measurements of physical constants and claims of low-mass electron-positron states. The methods used to resolve the issues in these more complex cases will also be discussed.
\nZoom Link: \;https://pitt.zoom.us/j/98455318569
\nThis talk will also be available live streamed on YouTube at \;https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg.
ORGANIZER;CN=Edouard Machery: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR