PhilSci Archive

Crash Testing an Engineering Framework in Neuroscience: Does the Idea of Robustness Break Down?

Chirimuuta, M. (2016) Crash Testing an Engineering Framework in Neuroscience: Does the Idea of Robustness Break Down? In: UNSPECIFIED.

This is the latest version of this item.

[img]
Preview
 Text
Chirimuuta_Robustness_PSA2016.pdf
Download (231kB) | Preview

Abstract

In this paper I discuss the concept of robustness in neuroscience. Various mechanisms for making systems robust have been discussed across biology and neuroscience (e.g. redundancy and fail-safes). Many of these notions originate from engineering. I argue that concepts borrowed from engineering aid neuroscientists in (1) operationalizing robustness; (2) formulating hypotheses about mechanisms for robustness; and (3) quantifying robustness. Furthermore, I argue that the significant disanalogies between brains and engineered artefacts raise important questions about the applicability of the engineering framework. I argue that the use of such concepts should be understood as a kind of simplifying idealization.

Export/Citation: EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL
Social Networking:
Share |
Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED)
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Chirimuuta, M.mac289@pitt.edu
Keywords: philosophy of neuroscience; philosophy of biology; robustness; modeling
Subjects: General Issues > Models and Idealization
Specific Sciences > Neuroscience
Depositing User: Dr M. Chirimuuta
Date Deposited: 27 Oct 2016 14:17
Last Modified: 27 Oct 2016 14:17
Item ID: 12522
Subjects: General Issues > Models and Idealization
Specific Sciences > Neuroscience
Date: 27 October 2016
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/12522

Available Versions of this Item

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item