New Books in Science Lorraine Daston and Peter Galison, "Objectivity" (Zone Books, 2010)
Jun 7, 2021
Peter Galison, a Harvard professor, and Lorraine Daston, a historian at the Max Planck Institute, explore the nuanced concept of objectivity in their work. They discuss how the meaning of objectivity has evolved over time and its ties to the subjectivity of researchers. The conversation highlights the interplay between science and art, especially the influence of aesthetics on knowledge creation. They delve into the historical shifts in scientific representation and the growing significance of visual data in modern research, predicting future trajectories in image production.
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Truth to Nature as Pragmatic Idealization
- Truth to nature persists as a pragmatic idealization rather than a metaphysical truth today.
- Scientists use idealized images to distinguish species or features, not to reflect perfect reality.
Trained Judgment as Learned Skill
- Trained judgment is a collective skill developed through training rather than innate genius.
- This skill ensures replicable, objective scientific classifications even without full mechanization.
Citizen Science Employing Trained Judgment
- On the citizen science Zooniverse platform, non-experts quickly learn to classify galaxies reliably.
- This democratizes scientific work by extending trained judgment to amateurs.
