1st Edition

Anthropic Bias Observation Selection Effects in Science and Philosophy

244 Pages

by Routledge

240 Pages

by Routledge

240 Pages

by Routledge

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Description

Anthropic Bias explores how to reason when you suspect that your evidence is biased by "observation selection effects"--that is, evidence that has been filtered by the precondition that there be some suitably positioned observer to "have" the evidence. This conundrum--sometimes alluded to as "the anthropic principle," "self-locating belief," or "indexical information"--turns out to be a... Read more

1. Introduction; 2. Fine-Tuning in Cosmology; 3. Anthropic Principles; 4. Thought Experiments Supporting the Self-Sampling Assumption; 5. The Self-Sampling Assumption in Science; 6. The Doomsday Argument; 7. ::; 8. ::; 9. ::; ch0010 Observation Selection Theory; 11. Observation Selection Theory Applied;

Author(s)

Biography

Nick Bostrom

Critics' Reviews

"From traffic analysis via a many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics and the problem of the fine-tuning of the universe to the purely philosophical problems of the Doomsday argument and the Sleeping Beauty problem, Bostrom succeeds in shining a new and interesting light on all of these issues." --Wouter Meijs

"Bostrom presents a highly readable and widely relevant work which can be warmly recommended to everyone in philosophy of science."--Christian Wuthrich, Philosophy of Science

"Probably the worst thing one can say about this book is that it is too short....Anthropic Bias is a wonderful achievement, which should find place on the shelf of every serious student of modern philosophy of science, epistemology, and cosmology." --Milan Cirkovic, Foundations of Science

"Anthropic Bias is a synthesis of some of the most interesting and important ideas to emerge from discussion of cosmic fine-tuning, the anthropic principle, and the Doomsday Argument. It deserves a place on the shelves of epistemologists and philosophers of science, as well as specialists interested in the topics just mentioned."--Neil Manson, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews