[SydPhil] MQ Philosophy Work in Progress Seminar 24th February– Toby Handfield

[Emily Hughes]

You are warmly invited to the first MQ Philosophy Work in Progress (WIP)
seminar for 2026 which will be given by Toby Handfield from Monash.

The details are as follows:
Date: Tuesday 24th of February
Time:   13:00-14:00
Room: 17WW 113

Title: Modelling Cooperative Dilemmas for Science

Abstract: Scientists have complex motivations: pure curiosity, prestige,
status, citations, grant dollars, and more. Scientists are also embedded in
strategic contexts – their best choice of research strategy often depends
on what other scientists are doing. In this work we develop a model of
scientists engaged in a simplified process of inquiry via falsification,
and show that even with very simple, primarily epistemic motivations,
strategic tensions arise between different scientific groups. This can lead
to paradoxical results, where scientists who are more motivated by truth
are slower to achieve the true theory than more conservative scientists who
are more reluctant to abandon their preferred views. We discuss
implications for how scientific communities should balance openness to new
evidence against the stability needed for productive research.

Further information about the seminar series including the zoom link and
details on future talks can be found at the seminar webpage:
https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/rqMwCWLVXkUXK49VlS6f6IoZkj_?domain=mqphilosophy.github.io
<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/dPaqCXLW2mUDR95WpCVhKIWwB5x?domain=aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com>

We look forward to seeing you there.

Dr Emily Hughes (she/her)
ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA) Fellow in Philosophy
School of Humanities, Faculty of Arts
Michael Kirby Building, 17 Wally's Walk
Level 2, Room 233
Macquarie University – Wallumattagal Campus, Dharug Country
NSW 2109 Australia
E: emily.hughes at mq.edu.au
W: https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/gT85CYW8Nocpq91wGi9i9IxvTG2?domain=researchers.mq.edu.au

I acknowledge that Macquarie University stands on the land of the Dharug
Nation, land that was never ceded. I pay my respects to the Dharug people,
the Wallumattagal clan, and their Elders past and present. Always was,
always will be, Aboriginal land.