Questioning Truth, Reality, and the Role of Scientific Progress

It's an interesting time to be making a case for philosophy in science. On the one hand, some scientists working on ideas such as string theory or the multiverse--ideas that reach far beyond our current means to test them--are forced to make a philosophical defense of research that can't rely on traditional hypothesis testing. On the other hand, some physicists, such as Richard Feynman and Stephen Hawking, were notoriously dismissive of the value of the philosophy of science. Original story reprinted with permission from Quanta Magazine, an editorially independent publication of the Simons Foundation whose mission is to enhance public understanding of science by covering research developments and trends in mathematics and the physical and life sciences. That value is asserted with gentle but firm assurance by Michela Massimi, the recent recipient of the Wilkins-Bernal-Medawar Medal, an award given annually by the UK's Royal Society. Massimi's prize speech, delivered earlier this week, defended both science and the philosophy of science from accusations of irrelevance.