Our group creates a wide variety of research products, including academic books and papers, materials for public audiences, and our blog. We also give talks to groups of specialists and the public, worldwide, and produce widely used open-source software. Check it all out below.
A presentation of some contemporary results from divergence time estimation and their impact on interpretations of chance in the philosophy of biology.
Reviewed work: Rosenblatt, L.B. 2018. Buckets from an English Sea: 1832 and the Making of Charles Darwin. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Based on a symposium at the 2016 PSA, Grant and I offer some tips for those interested in engaging in digital projects in the philosophy of science.
Reviewed work: Archibald, J.D. 2017. Origins of Darwin’s Evolution: Solving the Species Puzzle Through Time and Place. New York: Columbia University Press.
Darwin had many influences, but perhaps the most significant on the structure of the Origin was Sir John Herschel’s Preliminary Discourse. I explore the shape and nature of that influence here.
We consider the status of the economy of nature as a structuring concept in biological theory, from Darwin to the present, with reference to current debates over structural realism.
Reviewed work: Richards, R.J. & Ruse, M. 2016. Debating Darwin. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
A brief paper which considers two arguments against the tenability of considering genetic drift to be analogous to a Newtonian force – that drift lacks a specifiable direction, and that it is constitutive of all evolving systems, rather than an “external” force. In defense of the force metaphor, I find both these arguments to be problematic. ERRATUM: The Lewens (2010) citation should refer to “The Natures of Selection.”
Work with a group of biologists, coordinated through the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center. Offers a new framework for understanding animal decisions which takes into account insights from human psychology. The figshare data here describes a textual analysis that was removed from the article in draft.
An edited volume with contributions from philosophers, historians, biologists, and theologians on the role of “chance” in evolutionary theory.
An application note introducing the evoText project, a text-mining tool for analyzing the biological journal literature.
An application note introducing RLetters, a tool designed to allow the textual analysis of large journal article corpora.
It is often claimed (e.g., in a recent article by Sober (2013)) that trait fitness is where the genuine “action” can be found in evolutionary theory, and that individual fitness is theoretically secondary. We clarify this relationship by distinguishing two roles that fitness plays in biology, and arguing that individual fitness lies at the conceptual foundation of ascriptions of the fitness of traits.
In this paper, I argue for a new understanding of the development of chance in evolution, from the from the work of Darwin through Galton to two of Galton’s students, Karl Pearson and W.F.R. Weldon. (Invited to appear in a special issue of Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science containing selected proceedings from &HPS4.)
A commentary on a framework for ethical decision making in military genomic research by Mehlman and Li, in which I argue that significant caution is required, thanks to conceptual results from the philosophy of biology on the relationship between genotypes and phenotypes.
Essay review of: Johnson, C. 2015. Darwin’s Dice: The Idea of Chance in the Thought of Charles Darwin. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Reviewed work: Johnson, C. 2015. Darwin’s Dice: The Idea of Chance in the Thought of Charles Darwin. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Reviewed work: Wilkins, J.S. 2009. Species: A History of the Idea. Berkeley: University of California Press.
We apply some results from mathematical biology to show that there is no reason to think that a modified formulation of the propensity interpretation of fitness cannot survive several common counterexamples to the traditional PIF.
An entry on the philosophical interpretation of fitness for Wiley’s Encyclopedia of the Life Sciences.
Reviewed work: Müller-Wille, S. & Rheinberger, Hans-Jörg. 2012. A Cultural History of Heredity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Reviewed work: Stern, D.L. 2011. Evolution, Development, and the Predictable Genome. Greenwood Village, CO: Roberts and Company Publishers.
An application note introducing MTBindingSim, a tool for classroom simulation of binding to microtubules.
An application note describing Oyun, software for running iterated prisoner’s dilemma tournaments.
I argue here for a new view of the philosophy of W.F.R. Weldon, distinct in interesting and important ways from the positivism of Karl Pearson.
A reinterpretation of Nietzsche’s critique of Darwin, seen in the light of his early work on aesthetics. (Several of the Nietzsche citations in the published version are missing, despite my best efforts. The preprint has them all, for those interested.)
Reviewed work: Boyd, B. 2009. On the Origin of Stories: Evolution, Cognition, and Fiction. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Reviewed work: Sober, E. 2011. Did Darwin Write the Origin Backwards? Philosophical Essays on Darwin’s Theory. Amherst, NY: Prometheus.
Reviewed work: Godfrey-Smith, P. 2009. Darwinian Popluations and Natural Selection. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
The lab is always interested in talking about our work to any audiences who would like to hear about it. Send Prof. Pence an email and we’d love to set something up.
Why Should We Value Biodiversity?
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Colloque du Cercle des Étudiants en Philosophie
| Talk Date: April 23, 2019, 2:00pm
Reversion and Deep Ancestry in Early Genetics
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Journée d'étude, Université Paris 7 — Diderot
| Talk Date: April 11, 2019, 11:00am
The Boundaries of Scientific Communities
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Ethics/Philosophy of Technology Section, TU Delft
| Talk Date: April 8, 2019, 3:00pm
The Wonderful Form of Cosmic Order: Bringing Statistics to Evolution
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
UCLouvain CEFISES Work in Progress Seminar
| Talk Date: February 27, 2019, 3:00pm
Causation and Metaphysics in Evolutionary Biology
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
KU Leuven, Center for Logic and Philosophy of Science
| Talk Date: December 7, 2018, 3:00pm
The Development of Darwin’s Views of Chance
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Aarhus University, Center for Science Studies
| Talk Date: October 10, 2018, 2:15pm
An Introduction to Historical Explanation
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
UCLouvain Historical Explanation Seminar
| Talk Date: October 3, 2018, 3:00pm
Darwin on Mind, Ethics, and Animals
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
UCLouvain GRICE Seminar
| Talk Date: September 26, 2018, 3:00pm
Chance, Statistics, and Experiment in Early Evolutionary Biology
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
History of Philosophy of Science (HOPOS) 2018
| Conference Date: July 9–12, 2018
| Talk Date: July 10, 2018, 3:30pm
C'mon, Neil! Why Good Philosophy of Science is Part of Good Science Teaching and Science
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
National Science Teachers Association Regional Meeting, 2017
| Conference Date: November 30–December 2, 2017
| Talk Date: December 2, 2017, 8:00am
Darwin and Evolution: Using Historical Critiques and Responses to Address Student Misunderstandings
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
National Science Teachers Association Regional Meeting, 2017
| Conference Date: November 30–December 2, 2017
| Talk Date: December 1, 2017, 9:30am
Archives to Networks and Back Again (keynote)
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
THATCamp HSS 2017
| Talk Date: November 12, 2017, 12:00pm
Syntheses that Weren’t: W.F.R. Weldon on Chromosomes
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
ISHPSSB 2017
| Conference Date: July 16–21, 2017
| Talk Date: July 18, 2017, 9:00am
Theories Under Stress: The Evolution of Early Genetics
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
University of Leeds HPS Centre Seminar
| Talk Date: May 24, 2017, 3:15pm
Later published as “How Not to Fight About Theory: The Debate Between Biometry and Mendelism in Nature, 1890–1915”
Theories Under Stress: The Evolution of Early Genetics
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
University College London
| Talk Date: May 17, 2017, 5:00pm
Later published as “How Not to Fight About Theory: The Debate Between Biometry and Mendelism in Nature, 1890–1915”
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Deep South Philosophy of Biology, University of Alabama Birmingham
| Conference Date: March 31–April 1, 2017
| Talk Date: April 1, 2017, 8:45am
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Darwin Day, Stephen F. Austin State University
| Talk Date: February 10, 2017, 12:00pm
Fitness and Prediction in Evolutionary Theory
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
London School of Economics
| Talk Date: January 25, 2017, 5:00pm
evoText and Philosophy of Science
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Philosophy of Science Association 2016
| Conference Date: November 3–5, 2016
| Talk Date: November 4, 2016, 1:30pm
Later published as “How to Do Digital Philosophy of Science”
Theories Under Stress: The Evolution of Early Genetics
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
The Science of Evolution and the Evolution of the Sciences
| Conference Date: October 12–13, 2016
| Talk Date: October 13, 2016, 2:00pm
Later published as “How Not to Fight About Theory: The Debate Between Biometry and Mendelism in Nature, 1890–1915”
The Economy of Nature and Structure in Evolution
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
KU Leuven Centre for Logic and Analytic Philosophy Seminar
| Talk Date: October 11, 2016, 4:00pm
Later published as “The Economy of Nature: The Structure of Evolution in Linnaeus, Darwin, and Toward the Extended Synthesis”
The Economy of Nature: Structure in Biology from Linnaeus, to Darwin, to the Modern Synthesis
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence,
Swaim
The History of Science and Scientific Realism
| Conference Date: February 19–21, 2016
| Talk Date: February 19, 2016, 2:30pm
Later published as “The Economy of Nature: The Structure of Evolution in Linnaeus, Darwin, and Toward the Extended Synthesis”
What is Evolutionary Fitness For?
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Mississippi State University Philosophy Department
| Talk Date: November 6, 2015, 1:30pm
Charles Darwin and Sir John F.W. Herschel
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
EPSA 2015
| Conference Date: September 23–26, 2015
| Talk Date: September 23, 2015, 6:00pm
Later published as “Sir John F. W. Herschel and Charles Darwin: Nineteenth-Century Science and its Methodology”
Charles Darwin and Sir John F.W. Herschel
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
CLMPS 2015
| Conference Date: August 3–8, 2015
| Talk Date: August 7, 2015, 6:30pm
Later published as “Sir John F. W. Herschel and Charles Darwin: Nineteenth-Century Science and its Methodology”
Prediction, Optimization, Chaos: The Role of Fitness
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
ISHPSSB 2015
| Conference Date: July 5–10, 2015
| Talk Date: July 6, 2015, 9:00am
evoText: A New Text Analysis Tool for the History and Philosophy of Biology
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
American Philosophical Association Pacific Division Meeting, 2015
| Conference Date: April 1–4, 2015
| Talk Date: April 4, 2015, 1:00pm
Later published as “evoText: A New Tool for Analyzing the Biological Sciences”
Is Organismic Fitness at the Basis of Evolutionary Theory?
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Philosophy of Science Association 2014
| Conference Date: November 6–9, 2014
| Talk Date: November 7, 2014, 1:30pm
Later published as “Is Organismic Fitness at the Basis of Evolutionary Theory?”
Background: Attribution & Repression (in Cyberwarfare)
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Cyberwarfare, Ethics, and International Humanitarian Law, International Committee of the Red Cross
| Conference Date: May 21–22, 2014
| Talk Date: May 21, 2014, 2:00pm
Models, Probability, and the Deep Past
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Models and Simulations 6
| Conference Date: May 9–11, 2014
| Talk Date: May 10, 2014, 2:30pm
Later published as “Locating Uncertainty in Stochastic Evolutionary Models: Divergence Time Estimation”
Coming to Terms with Chance in Evolution
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Louisiana State University
| Talk Date: February 3, 2014, 11:00am
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
NESCent Lunch Talk
| Talk Date: December 5, 2013, 12:00pm
Later published as “RLetters: A Web-Based Application for Text Analysis of Journal Articles”
Putting Process and Product Conceptions of Natural Selection and Genetic Drift to the Test
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
European Philosohy of Science Association 2013
| Conference Date: August 28–31, 2013
| Talk Date: August 30, 2013, 9:30am
Putting Process and Product Conceptions of Natural Selection and Genetic Drift to the Test
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
ISHPSSB 2013
| Conference Date: July 7–12, 2013
| Talk Date: July 12, 2013, 9:00am
It’s Okay to Call Genetic Drift a ‘Force’
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
American Philosophical Association Eastern Division Meeting, 2012
| Conference Date: December 27–30, 2012
| Talk Date: December 29, 2012, 9:00am
Later published as “Is Genetic Drift a Force?”
It’s Okay to Call Genetic Drift a ‘Force’
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Philosophy of Science Association 2012
| Conference Date: November 15–17, 2012
| Talk Date: November 15, 2012, 2:00pm
Later published as “Is Genetic Drift a Force?”
Oyun: Prisoner’s Dilemma Tournaments in the Philosophy of Science
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
American Association of Philosophy Teachers 19th Biennial Workshop/Conference
| Conference Date: July 25–29, 2012
| Talk Date: July 27, 2012, 10:45am
Later published as “Oyun: A New, Free Program for Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma Tournaments in the Classroom.”
The Early History of Chance in Evolution: Causal and Statistical in the 1890s
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
History of Philosophy of Science (HOPOS) 2012
| Conference Date: June 21–24, 2012
| Talk Date: June 22, 2012, 2:15pm
Later published as “The Early History of Chance in Evolution.”
Software Demo: RLetters
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Digital Humanities Summer Institute
| Conference Date: June 3–10, 2012
| Talk Date: June 6, 2012, 8am
Later published as “RLetters: A Web-Based Application for Text Analysis of Journal Articles”
Four Conflated ‘Chance’-Like Concepts in Evolutionary Theory
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Indiana Philosophical Association
| Conference Date: April 20–21, 2012
| Talk Date: April 21, 2012, 2pm
Biology Meets Metaphysics? The Causalist/Statisticalist Debate
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
PhiloSTEM-3
| Conference Date: April 13–14, 2012
| Talk Date: April 14, 2012, 1pm
The Early History of Chance in Evolution
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Integrated History and Philosophy of Science (&HPS4)
| Conference Date: March 15–18, 2012
| Talk Date: March 17, 2012, 11am
Later published as “The Early History of Chance in Evolution.”
evoText: Digital Humanities Meets Evolutionary Biology
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
Notre Dame Graduate Research Symposium (received two awards)
| Conference Date: 24th February 2012, 2pm–5pm
Later published as “evoText: A New Tool for Analyzing the Biological Sciences”
The Conflation of “Chance” in Evolution
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
ISHPSSB 2011
| Conference Date: July 10–15, 2011
| Talk Date: July 11, 2011, 11am
The Statistical Philosophy of W.F.R. Weldon
Lab Speaker(s):
Pence
ISHPSSB 2009
| Conference Date: July 12–16, 2009
| Talk Date: July 13, 2009
Later published as “‘Describing Our Whole Experience’: The Statistical Philosophies of W.F.R. Weldon and Karl Pearson.”
