PMID: 22332319Feb 16, 2012Paper

Playing with molecules

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
Adam Toon

Abstract

Recent philosophy of science has seen a number of attempts to understand scientific models by looking to theories of fiction. In previous work, I have offered an account of models that draws on Kendall Walton's 'make-believe' theory of art. According to this account, models function as 'props' in games of make-believe, like children's dolls or toy trucks. In this paper, I assess the make-believe view through an empirical study of molecular models. I suggest that the view gains support when we look at the way that these models are used and the attitude that users take towards them. Users' interaction with molecular models suggests that they do imagine the models to be molecules, in much the same way that children imagine a doll to be a baby. Furthermore, I argue, users of molecular models imagine themselves viewing and manipulating molecules, just as children playing with a doll might imagine themselves looking at a baby or feeding it. Recognising this 'participation' in modelling, I suggest, points towards a new account of how models are used to learn about the world, and helps us to understand the value that scientists sometimes place on three-dimensional, physical models over other forms of representation.

References

Aug 26, 2009·Developmental Science·Deena Skolnick Weisberg, Paul Bloom

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Citations

Jan 27, 2015·Memory & Cognition·Lisa G GuthrieChelsea Howard
Dec 4, 2013·Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences·Tudor M Baetu
Nov 28, 2012·Current Opinion in Chemical Biology·Emily Candela
Aug 30, 2016·Acta Psychologica·Frédéric Vallée-TourangeauMiroslav Sirota
Feb 27, 2018·Psychological Research·Niyat HenokGaëlle Vallée-Tourangeau

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