TLDR of anarchist (Feyerabend) philosophy of science as opposed to “scientific method”. If you think of science as a method, you’re more likely to build a bureaucracy of science than do science. Science is peculiarly vulnerable to turpentine effects.
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Ah I see your confusion. LIGO is great, it’s an instrument for measuring gravity.
It’s instuments for measuring the ‘scientific method’ itself (eg journal impact factors, citations...) that I see as turpentine effects. The bureaucracy of institutional science.
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The scientific method is over prescribed as a method of discovery when it is really a gut check.
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A great philosophy professor I had framed Feyerabend as the most scientific realist philosopher of the century bc he had confidence that reality would reveal itself when human methods were cleared away. Interesting counter to people who see Feyerabend as a nihilist.
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“The only chemistry painters need is fat over lean and don’t ash your joint in the turpentine.” — Maceij Ceglowoski, responding to pg’s Hackers & Painters
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That turpentine article is brilliant. I see the dance in my own work, between getting sucked into making elegant tools to actually producing amazing product. Thanks for that. I missed it the first time around.






