Sheila Colla, Ph.D
@savewildbees.bsky.social
Associate Professor #YorkU, York Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Conservation Science, #GND, #MarginSci, #Mesothelioma Survivor,
#Ecology and conservation of wild #bumblebees www.savethebumblebees.ca
#Ecology and conservation of wild #bumblebees www.savethebumblebees.ca
Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D
If science is understood narrowly as the pursuit of truth, it's hard to explain what's wrong with any of these things, because they self-evidently promote the pursuit of truth
In the jargon of #philsci, they're all clearly epistemic ("truth-promoting") values 2/
In the jargon of #philsci, they're all clearly epistemic ("truth-promoting") values 2/
June 4, 2025 at 7:26 PM
If science is understood narrowly as the pursuit of truth, it's hard to explain what's wrong with any of these things, because they self-evidently promote the pursuit of truth
In the jargon of #philsci, they're all clearly epistemic ("truth-promoting") values 2/
In the jargon of #philsci, they're all clearly epistemic ("truth-promoting") values 2/
Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D
But notice that Gleick's science isn't aimed narrowly at the pursuit of truth. His aims are much broader, addressing important threats to human health and the environment. 3/
June 4, 2025 at 7:26 PM
But notice that Gleick's science isn't aimed narrowly at the pursuit of truth. His aims are much broader, addressing important threats to human health and the environment. 3/
Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D
I've argued that this is true in general. Most scientific fields don't just have epistemic aims, like truth and understanding. They also have pragmatic or practical aims. 4/
www.frontiersin.org/articles/10....
www.frontiersin.org/articles/10....
Frontiers | Impacting Capabilities: A Conceptual Framework for the Social Value of Research
There is widespread interest in evaluating the social impacts of research and other scholarly activities. Conventional metrics for social impacts focus on ec...
www.frontiersin.org
June 4, 2025 at 7:26 PM
I've argued that this is true in general. Most scientific fields don't just have epistemic aims, like truth and understanding. They also have pragmatic or practical aims. 4/
www.frontiersin.org/articles/10....
www.frontiersin.org/articles/10....
Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D
And members of the general public think so too! In my survey work (still under review), we've found that even political conservatives tend agree that a primary aim of science — along with truth — is to improve our understanding of threats to human health and the environment. 5/
osf.io/ks2ta_v1/
osf.io/ks2ta_v1/
OSF
osf.io
June 4, 2025 at 7:26 PM
And members of the general public think so too! In my survey work (still under review), we've found that even political conservatives tend agree that a primary aim of science — along with truth — is to improve our understanding of threats to human health and the environment. 5/
osf.io/ks2ta_v1/
osf.io/ks2ta_v1/
Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D
Because science typically has practical aims, the standards of good science need to go *beyond* truth. Just exemplifying those epistemic values at the top of the thread isn't good enough. Science should be "fit-for-purpose." 6/
link.springer.com/10.1007/s131...
link.springer.com/10.1007/s131...
Non-epistemic values and scientific assessment: an adequacy-for-purpose view - European Journal for Philosophy of Science
The literature on values in science struggles with questions about how to describe and manage the role of values in scientific research. We argue that progress can be made by shifting this literature’...
link.springer.com
June 4, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Because science typically has practical aims, the standards of good science need to go *beyond* truth. Just exemplifying those epistemic values at the top of the thread isn't good enough. Science should be "fit-for-purpose." 6/
link.springer.com/10.1007/s131...
link.springer.com/10.1007/s131...
Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D
Scientists have often been trained to adopt value-free, politically nonpartisan positions in social controversies. (See Marcia McNutt's comments this morning.) But this posture is itself anti-scientific, when it enables the weaponization of purported scientific values. 13/
June 4, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Scientists have often been trained to adopt value-free, politically nonpartisan positions in social controversies. (See Marcia McNutt's comments this morning.) But this posture is itself anti-scientific, when it enables the weaponization of purported scientific values. 13/
Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D
Instead, I think scientists should be explicit about the values that motivate and influence their work. In my survey work on this — which has been published! — disclosing values like protecting human health seems to *increase* trust relative to value-freedom. 14/
www.frontiersin.org/articles/10....
www.frontiersin.org/articles/10....
Frontiers | Values disclosures and trust in science: A replication study
While philosophers of science generally agree that social, political, and ethical values can play legitimate roles in science, there is active debate over wh...
www.frontiersin.org
June 4, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Instead, I think scientists should be explicit about the values that motivate and influence their work. In my survey work on this — which has been published! — disclosing values like protecting human health seems to *increase* trust relative to value-freedom. 14/
www.frontiersin.org/articles/10....
www.frontiersin.org/articles/10....
Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D
Take home message:
Science and advocacy aren't mutually exclusive, because most science are *already* advocates. They just don't present themselves as *partisans*. Scientists should be explicit that their work is about making a better world. 15/15
Science and advocacy aren't mutually exclusive, because most science are *already* advocates. They just don't present themselves as *partisans*. Scientists should be explicit that their work is about making a better world. 15/15
June 4, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Take home message:
Science and advocacy aren't mutually exclusive, because most science are *already* advocates. They just don't present themselves as *partisans*. Scientists should be explicit that their work is about making a better world. 15/15
Science and advocacy aren't mutually exclusive, because most science are *already* advocates. They just don't present themselves as *partisans*. Scientists should be explicit that their work is about making a better world. 15/15
Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D
YESS to everything you share in this amazing thread. It was @savewildbees.bsky.social who I first learned about this article from, and I find it resonates with students at my tech school since it's from a fellow scientist
academic.oup.com/bioscience/a...
academic.oup.com/bioscience/a...
Being a scientist means taking sides
Mary H. O'Brien; Being a scientist means taking sides, BioScience, Volume 43, Issue 10, 1 November 1993, Pages 706–708, https://doi.org/10.2307/1312342
academic.oup.com
June 4, 2025 at 10:39 PM
YESS to everything you share in this amazing thread. It was @savewildbees.bsky.social who I first learned about this article from, and I find it resonates with students at my tech school since it's from a fellow scientist
academic.oup.com/bioscience/a...
academic.oup.com/bioscience/a...
In some ridings, it may make more sense to vote for another party like the NDP to get the conservative out.
April 26, 2025 at 6:04 PM
In some ridings, it may make more sense to vote for another party like the NDP to get the conservative out.
I hope people are still interested in habitat gardening. It should not be a fad to support the ecology that supports us.
April 3, 2025 at 11:12 AM
I hope people are still interested in habitat gardening. It should not be a fad to support the ecology that supports us.
Euro HBs came here with colonists and continue to extract pollen and nectar frome native pollinators. The HB industry is for sure capitalist.
March 30, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Euro HBs came here with colonists and continue to extract pollen and nectar frome native pollinators. The HB industry is for sure capitalist.