Can Machine Learning Provide Understanding? How Cosmologists Use Machine Learning to Understand Observations of the Universe
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21461491 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Helen Meskhidze (0000-0001-8217-4853, University of California, Irvine, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 88 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 1895-1909 |
| Publication date | 2023-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Erkenntnis (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0165-0106 • E-ISSN: 1572-8420 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10670-021-00434-5 |
| PMID | 37234997 |
| OpenAlex | W3185811178 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 22 |
The increasing precision of observations of the large-scale structure of the universe has created a problem for simulators: running the simulations necessary to interpret these observations has become impractical. Simulators have thus turned to machine learning (ML) algorithms instead. Though ML decreases computational expense, one might be worried about the use of ML for scientific investigations: How can algorithms that have repeatedly been described as black-boxes deliver scientific understanding? In this paper, I investigate how cosmologists employ ML, arguing that in this context, ML algorithms should not be considered black-boxes and can deliver genuine scientific understanding. Accordingly, understanding the methodological role of ML algorithms is crucial to understanding the types of questions they are capable of, and ought to be responsible for, answering
Astrophysics · Black box · Data science · Epistemology · Machine learning · Ontology · Physics · Universe · Computational Physics and Python Applications · Computer Science · Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena · Philosophy · Statistics Education and Methodologies · Artificial Intelligence
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2025 (3) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |