Exploratory Concept Formation and Tool Development in Neuroscience

Abstract

Developing tools is a crucial aspect of experimental practice, yet most discussions of scientific change traditionally emphasize theoretical over technological change. To elaborate on the role of tools in scientific change, I offer an account that shows how scientists use tools in exploratory experiments to form novel concepts. I apply this account to two cases in neuroscience and show how tool development and concept formation are often intertwined in episodes of tool-driven change. I support this view by proposing common normative principles that specify when exploratory concept formation and tool development succeed (rather than fail) to initiate scientific change.

Evolving Concepts of Functional Localization

“…Such conceptual innovations reflect a form of progress in cognitive neuroscience on par with the development of novel imaging and intervention tools (Griffiths & Stotz, 2008; Haueis, 2022). Haueis (2022) stresses that experimental findings can lead to the formation of novel concepts, which in turn shape the future course of empirical inquiry.…”

“…Such conceptual innovations reflect a form of progress in cognitive neuroscience on par with the development of novel imaging and intervention tools (Griffiths & Stotz, 2008; Haueis, 2022). Haueis (2022) stresses that experimental findings can lead to the formation of novel concepts, which in turn shape the future course of empirical inquiry. Whether the brain's functional architecture exhibits high degrees of reuse, degeneracy, and context‐sensitivity, and whether this signifies a return to radical forms of anti‐localizationism, are questions we can now ask with increasing conceptual and experimental precision (Anderson, 2014; Anderson et al., 2013; Burnston, 2020).…”

Cambio conceptual e innovación técnica: los desafíos de las neurociencias a la filosofía de las revoluciones científicas

“…Típicamente se trata de un paper (o de una serie de papers) que se publican en una revista top del campo; en este paper, los y las neurocientí cas aplican especí camente la herramienta a una población target y dan cuenta de un fenómeno de interés para la comunidad. El primer gancho captura, de esta manera, un nuevo eslabón en la cadena causal que explica un fenómeno (Haueis 2022). Por último, el gancho experimental de segunda fase consiste en un resultado publicado que le provee a la herramienta experimental un campo mayor de aplicación.…”

“…Por último, el gancho experimental de segunda fase consiste en un resultado publicado que le provee a la herramienta experimental un campo mayor de aplicación. El segundo gancho demuestra, en este sentido, la textura abierta de la técnica, su versatilidad para participar de la identi cación de otros eslabones causales en la explicación de otros fenómenos de interés (Haueis 2022).…”

Minding the gap: discovering the phenomenon of chemical transmission in the nervous system

“…Phenomena are regular occurrences taken to occur in the world, data are specific findings that provide evidence for them. 9 The transition from procuring data to identifying regular occurrences in the world requires deploying conceptual tools that allow researchers to characterize what they take to exist (Feest, 2010 , 2011 ; Haueis, 2023 ). While embracing their conclusions, my focus is on how the recognition of a discontinuity between neurons influenced the identification of a new phenomenon that needed to be characterized conceptually.…”