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Articles by David S. Oderberg
In praise of algorithms and echo chambers
They do not shape human nature — they reflect it Algorithms have come in for a lot of stick in the last decade or so. They have become a permanent part of the digital landscape, shaping how we interact in and with the online world. Algorithms used to be part of the arcane realms of mathematics and logic: now they curate our online lives, serving up the cat videos and scare pranks we know and love, and keeping us from all the things we swipe past in a nanosecond.
Getting it Wrong: Biological Mistake-Making as a Cross-System, Cross-Scale Phenomenon
ABSTRACT The making of mistakes by organisms and living systems generally is an underexplored way of conceptualising biology and organising experimental research. We set out an informal account of biological mistakes and why they should be taken seriously in biological investigation. We then give an indirect defence of their importance by applying the concept of mistake-making to three kinds of activity: timing, calculation, and communication.
Introduction-Purpose in Biology: New Directions
I am delighted to introduce the papers in this year's Special Issue. They are a combination of those presented at the annual Ratio one-day conference ‘Purpose in Biology: New Directions’ (held at the University of Reading in September 2023) and some further invited contributions.
A new theory suggests mistakes are an essential part of being alive
We forget where we parked. We misplace our keys. We misread instructions. We lose track of the time. We call people by the wrong name. ‘To err is human,’ as the English poet Alexander Pope wrote in his Essay on Criticism (1711). But it is not exclusively human. All animals do things that prevent them from surviving, reproducing, being safe, or being happy. All animals get things wrong. Think of a fish that takes the bait and accidentally bites into a metal hook.
Life makes mistakes - David S Oderberg
We forget where we parked. We misplace our keys. We misread instructions. We lose track of the time. We call people by the wrong name. ‘To err is human,’ as the English poet Alexander Pope wrote in his Essay on Criticism (1711). But it is not exclusively human. All animals do things that prevent them from surviving, reproducing, being safe, or being happy. All animals get things wrong. Think of a fish that takes the bait and accidentally bites into a metal hook.
Action, passion, power
1 INTRODUCTION Few propositions seems to be more deserving of the label ‘metaphysical truism’ than the thesis that there is a difference between what things do and what merely happens to them. There is a world of difference between hitting a ball and being hit by one. I would rather eat than be eaten. One loves, and one hopes to be loved in return. Water breaks the ionic bonds of a salt crystal but water molecules themselves are broken by an electric current.
Why we should let healthcare professionals be conscientious objectors
For most people, the term “conscientious objection” evokes images of Quakers and pacifists registering to avoid military service. Many countries have a long and honourable tradition of accommodating such conscientious objectors. It might not be about bombs and bullets, but healthcare professionals often find themselves fighting a conscience battle of their own.
Medics should not be forced to do procedures they object to on ethical grounds
For most people, the term “conscientious objection” evokes images of Quakers and pacifists registering to avoid military service. Many countries have a long and honourable tradition of accommodating such conscientious objectors. It might not be about bombs and bullets, but healthcare professionals often find themselves fighting a conscience battle of their own.
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