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(Originally posted: 5/3/2011)

Unlike a lot of scientists, I take the philosophy of science very seriously. Every anthropology class I teach begins with a day or two devoted completely to understanding what science is, what it does, and how it does it. I’m not sure that many other scientists–anthropologist or not–can say that. It is true, of course, that for the daily functioning of any scientific enterprise, a deep understanding of epistemology and metaphysical paradigms is not necessary, but it is also true that as theoretical structures become more complex and sophisticated, that deep understanding becomes more important. So, in an attempt to right some wrongs, over the next couple weeks I’ll be making a series of posts that explore widespread popular misconceptions about science. Some of them are more widely known as misconceptions than others, but all of them are dangerous ideas that can lead the non-scientific community to misunderstand scientists, and lead unwary scientists to draw incorrect conclusions. Click through to the full story for Misconception 1. Continue reading “Things about Science that Even Scientists Get Wrong”

(Originally posted: 4/8/2011)

Recently, someone asked me what me dissertation research was about.  That isn’t a particularly unusual question for any scholar, but the truth is my research was complex enough that I suspect many archaeologists wouldn’t understand it without actually looking at large chunks of the 400+ pages.  Nevertheless, in trying to explain the questions I’d asked and the approach I’d taken, I also began thinking about some more intricate issues about how I and other archaeologists construct arguments.  Follow through to the whole story for my thoughts. Continue reading “Coherence Arguments in Archaeology”