[SydPhil] Reminder: gladys kostyrka @ Mon 6 May 2013 13:00 - 14:30 (Current Projects)

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This is a reminder for:

Title: gladys kostyrka
  “Is there a paradox of using viruses as models for life processes?”

ABSTRACT:

Viral particles are small (between 20 nm and 400 nm) non-cellular entities  
that depend on the infected cell for replication, metabolism and evolution.  
Because of their size, non-cellularity and as a consequence non-living  
nature, it could be argued that even if viruses may be useful tools for  
understanding life processes, especially at the molecular and subcellular  
level, they can’t be models. This conclusion is often implicitly or  
explicitly adopted by scientists and philosophers: viruses are largely  
missing in conferences and papers studying model (micro-)organisms, whereas  
their roles as tools seem less problematic. Why this silence on viruses as  
models ? Here I claim that viruses have been and still are used as models  
for life processes, and not only as tools.

I first contrast the use of viruses as tools and their use as models, based  
on precise case studies. Then I show that even if the distinction between  
“tool” and “model” is sometimes blurred, it is necessary to keep this  
distinction and to clarify it: what does that mean to speak of viruses as  
models? Finally, I  give some explanations about the silence on viruses as  
models.
When: Mon 6 May 2013 13:00 – 14:30 Eastern Time - Melbourne, Sydney
Calendar: Current Projects
Who:
     * kristiemiller4 at gmail.com- creator

Event details:  
https://www.google.com/calendar/event?action=VIEW&eid=XzZrcjMyZ2kxODkyazRiOWg4Z3NrNmI5azhvbzNnYjlwOGNxM2NiYTE4Y3IzNGc5bDhvc2s0ZGE1Nm8gZmV2MWxkcjRsa2h2MDM2b2U0aW4yanR0ZGdAZw

Invitation from Google Calendar: https://www.google.com/calendar/

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