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Reassessing Discovery: Rosalind Franklin, Scientific Visualization, and the Structure of DNA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Michelle G. Gibbons
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Abstract

Philosophers have traditionally conceived of discovery in terms of internal cognitive acts. Close consideration of Rosalind Franklin's role in the discovery of the DNA double helix, however, reveals some problems with this traditional conception. This article argues that defining discovery in terms of mental operations entails problematic conclusions and excludes acts that should fall within the domain of discovery. It proposes that discovery be expanded to include external acts of making visible. Doing so allows for a reevaluation of Franklin's role in the discovery of the structure of DNA.

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Type
Research Article
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Philosophy of Science , Volume 79 , Issue 1 , January 2012 , pp. 63 - 80
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

‡

I would like to thank John Lyne and Kenneth Schaffner for their very helpful comments on an earlier version of this article.

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