Title: Introduction to Topological Philosophy of Science

Prof. Kevin Kelly (CMU)

Time: 10.22 15:10-18:00

Room: 二教406

Abstract: One usually thinks of scientific method in terms of logic or probability. Both are only incidental. The main outlines of general philosophy of science are topological. Information, verifiability, refutability, underdetermination, simplicity, and the epistemic justification of scientific method and inductive inference are all topological. In this interactive, informal chalk lecture, I will explain those provocative statements.

Professor Kelly is a professor of philosophy and the director of the Center for Formal Epistemology at CMU. His interests include belief revision, learning theory, epistemic logic, and qualitative belief. His recent work focuses on the bias towards empirical simplicity in scientific theories.