Peter Vickers
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View article: Surveys of the scientific community on the existence of extraterrestrial life
Surveys of the scientific community on the existence of extraterrestrial life Open
During February–June 2024 we conducted four surveys among researchers regarding the likely existence of basic, complex, and intelligent extraterrestrial life. Our results offer a snapshot of community opinion and reveal a significant degre…
View article: Development of a novel methodology for ascertaining scientific opinion and extent of agreement
Development of a novel methodology for ascertaining scientific opinion and extent of agreement Open
We take up the challenge of developing an international network with capacity to survey the world’s scientists on an ongoing basis, providing rich datasets regarding the opinions of scientists and scientific sub-communities, both at a time…
View article: Breakthrough results in astrobiology: is ‘high risk’ research needed?
Breakthrough results in astrobiology: is ‘high risk’ research needed? Open
Astrobiology is a scientific endeavour involving great uncertainties. This could justify intellectual risk-taking associated with research that significantly deviates from the mainstream, to explore new avenues. However, little is known re…
View article: The Call for a New Definition of Biosignature
The Call for a New Definition of Biosignature Open
The term biosignature has become increasingly prevalent in astrobiology literature as our ability to search for life advances. Although this term has been useful to the community, its definition is not settled. Existing definitions conflic…
View article: Confidence of Life Detection: The Problem of Unconceived Alternatives
Confidence of Life Detection: The Problem of Unconceived Alternatives Open
Potential biosignatures that offer the promise of extraterrestrial life (past or present) are to be expected in the coming years and decades, whether from within our own solar system, from an exoplanet atmosphere, or otherwise. With each s…
View article: Knowledge of the Quantum Domain: An Overlap Strategy
Knowledge of the Quantum Domain: An Overlap Strategy Open
The existence of multiple interpretations of quantum mechanics appears to pose a serious challenge for knowledge claims about the quantum domain. Hoefer (2020) argues that a scientific realist epistemology must be abandoned in this context…
View article: History and the Contemporary Scientific Realism Debate
History and the Contemporary Scientific Realism Debate Open
This Chapter offers a brief summary of the history of the scientific realism debate, mentioning some of the most important figures who have shaped the debate, as well as some of the most important strategies employed on both sides of the d…
View article: Expecting the unexpected in the search for extraterrestrial life
Expecting the unexpected in the search for extraterrestrial life Open
On p. 10 of the 2018 National Academies Exoplanet Science Strategy document (NASEM 2018), ‘Expect the unexpected’ is described as a general principle of the exoplanet field. But for the next 150 pages, this principle is apparently forgotte…
View article: Quo Vadis Selective Scientific Realism?
Quo Vadis Selective Scientific Realism? Open
My current opinion is that the selective realist is in a strong position vis-à-vis the historical challenges. Certainly the realist needs to invoke some careful criteria for realist commitment, and various nuances concerning the nature of …
View article: Towards a realistic success-to-truth inference for scientific realism
Towards a realistic success-to-truth inference for scientific realism Open
A success-to-truth inference has always been at the heart of scientific realist positions. But all attempts to articulate the inference have met with very significant challenges. This paper reconstructs the evolution of this inference, and…
View article: Understanding the selective realist defence against the PMI
Understanding the selective realist defence against the PMI Open
One of the popular realist responses to the pessimistic meta-induction (PMI) is the ‘selective’ move, where a realist only commits to the ‘working posits’ of a successful theory, and withholds commitment to ‘idle posits’. Antirealists ofte…