When are Fossils Data?
Existing accounts of data are unclear about whether the epistemic role objects play makes them data, or whether data have to be produced by human interaction with the world – these two features can come apart. I illustrate this ambiguity using the case of fossil data, which have rich histories and u...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Michigan Publishing
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Philosophy, Theory, and Practice in Biology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/ptpbio/article/id/5521/ |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850066650733215744 |
|---|---|
| author | Aja Watkins |
| author_facet | Aja Watkins |
| author_sort | Aja Watkins |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Existing accounts of data are unclear about whether the epistemic role objects play makes them data, or whether data have to be produced by human interaction with the world – these two features can come apart. I illustrate this ambiguity using the case of fossil data, which have rich histories and undergo many processes before they are encountered by humans. I then outline several philosophical positions that would resolve the ambiguity moving forward, and elaborate on my preferred option. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a8feee559ff840bfb32850e2324abb05 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2475-3025 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Michigan Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Philosophy, Theory, and Practice in Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-a8feee559ff840bfb32850e2324abb052025-08-20T02:48:41ZengMichigan PublishingPhilosophy, Theory, and Practice in Biology2475-30252024-12-0116210.3998/ptpbio.5521When are Fossils Data?Aja Watkins0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0171-8738Philosophy, University of Wisconsin-MadisonExisting accounts of data are unclear about whether the epistemic role objects play makes them data, or whether data have to be produced by human interaction with the world – these two features can come apart. I illustrate this ambiguity using the case of fossil data, which have rich histories and undergo many processes before they are encountered by humans. I then outline several philosophical positions that would resolve the ambiguity moving forward, and elaborate on my preferred option.https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/ptpbio/article/id/5521/datafossilsfossil datapaleontology |
| spellingShingle | Aja Watkins When are Fossils Data? Philosophy, Theory, and Practice in Biology data fossils fossil data paleontology |
| title | When are Fossils Data? |
| title_full | When are Fossils Data? |
| title_fullStr | When are Fossils Data? |
| title_full_unstemmed | When are Fossils Data? |
| title_short | When are Fossils Data? |
| title_sort | when are fossils data |
| topic | data fossils fossil data paleontology |
| url | https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/ptpbio/article/id/5521/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ajawatkins whenarefossilsdata |