Scientific Discovery: Computational Explorations of the Creative Processes

Front Cover
MIT Press, 1987 - Computers - 357 pages

Scientific discovery is often regarded as romantic and creative--and hence unanalyzable--whereas the everyday process of verifying discoveries is sober and more suited to analysis. Yet this fascinating exploration of how scientific work proceeds argues that however sudden the moment of discovery may seem, the discovery process can be described and modeled.

Using the methods and concepts of contemporary information-processing psychology (or cognitive science) the authors develop a series of artificial-intelligence programs that can simulate the human thought processes used to discover scientific laws. The programs--BACON, DALTON, GLAUBER, and STAHL--are all largely data-driven, that is, when presented with series of chemical or physical measurements they search for uniformities and linking elements, generating and checking hypotheses and creating new concepts as they go along.

Scientific Discovery examines the nature of scientific research and reviews the arguments for and against a normative theory of discovery; describes the evolution of the BACON programs, which discover quantitative empirical laws and invent new concepts; presents programs that discover laws in qualitative and quantitative data; and ties the results together, suggesting how a combined and extended program might find research problems, invent new instruments, and invent appropriate problem representations. Numerous prominent historical examples of discoveries from physics and chemistry are used as tests for the programs and anchor the discussion concretely in the history of science.

 

Contents

On the Possibility of a Normative Theory of Discovery
37
The BACON Programs
63
Intrinsic Properties and Common Divisors
126
Symmetry and Conservation
170
Qualitative Laws and Models
193
Constructing Componential Models
223
Formulating Structural Models
256
Putting the Picture Together
279
Discovering Problems and Representations
302
Envoi
338
Copyright

Common terms and phrases

acid alkali applies associated atomic weights BACON BACON.3 Black's calx chapter charcoal chemical clusters combinations common divisor componential models components compound concepts conceptual clustering conservation consider constant value DALTON data clusters defined DENDRAL dependent described discovered discovery process discovery system domain examine example experimental experiments facts formulated given GLAUBER goal has-qual object heuristics hydrogen hypothesis independent terms independent values INFER-COMPONENTS inference initial intercept intrinsic property intrinsic values involved Kepler's Kepler's third law level of description linear relation M₁ M₂ methods NaOH nominal observed Ohm's law operators oxygen particles phlogiston theory Planck postulate predictions problem solving problem space productions quantified ratio reacts inputs representation result retrieval rule scientific discovery sequence Simon slope Snell's law specific STAHL structure substances summarized symmetry T₁ T₂ Table task temperature theoretical terms tion V₁ variables volume water reaction Wien's law

References to this book

Bibliographic information

TitleScientific Discovery: Computational Explorations of the Creative Processes
AuthorPat Langley
Editionillustrated
PublisherMIT Press, 1987
ISBN0262620529, 9780262620529
Length357 pages
Subjects › 

Computers / General
Psychology / Cognitive Psychology & Cognition
Psychology / General
Science / Microscopes & Microscopy
  
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