The Neglect of Micro-observers

Ana-Maria Cretu (University of Bristol)

17 April 2026, 16:00 (Lisbon Time – WET)

Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa

Sala Mattos Romão [C201.J] (Departamento de Filosofia)

Abstract: This paper offers an analysis of the epistemic roles of micro-observers, a type of scientific worker hired at the Bristol Nuclear Research Group 1939-1959 to undertake data-handling operations. This paper places micro-observers in their socio-historical and experimental context, whilst examining how they were incorporated into historical and scientific records, and historical-philosophical analyses. We show that extant analyses, not only do not recover their epistemic roles, but further mystify their roles in ways not warranted by experimental practices and processes that can be recovered from the archival data. This examination lends itself to broader philosophical reflections about the epistemology of experiment.

This event is funded by Portuguese national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., within the project UID/00310/2025, Centro de Filosofia da Universidade de Lisboa (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/00310/2025)