The most recent publication from the series “Philisophy of Biology” is “Explanation in Biology“, available for free download at the site.
The book introduces and elaborates scientific explanations in biology and the life sciences. Explanations are viewed as a “primary” objective of science – they
offer deep understanding and knowledge of the world, as opposed to mere
descriptions, classifications, and predictions. Classically, scientific explanations are viewed as answers to “why-questions” that concern some natural phenomenon of interest.
These questions sometimes suggest that an outcome is surprising in a manner that calls out for explanation. An explanation reduces this
surprise, showing why the outcome was inevitable and “to be expected”.
(a) metabolic pathways,
(b) developmental pathways,
(c) vascular pathways (or blood vessels), and
(d) ecological pathways (which capture prey–predator relationships).
(a) cascading reactions in physics and chemistry,
(b) cascading disease spread in epidemiology,
(c) ecological cascades, and
(d) cell-signaling cascades.
Surtil : 