The James Webb Space Telescope

Philosophy Forums Science, Technology, and Math
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The James Webb Space Telescope is being readied for launch in 2018. It’s an infrared optimized telescope that should be able to pick up ‘signals’ from when galaxies were formed thousands of light years ago when dark matter collided with matter to become the galaxies which are only now observable from earth. You can read more at www.jwst.nasa.gov/galaxies.html.

How will this ‘scientific breakthrough’ affect philosophy–or will philosophy continue (in my opinion) to try to ignore science? Science is the baby child of philosophy. Why, then, should philosophy ignore science (if it does?)

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I didn’t think it did. Robert P Crease is a philosopher, and he writes for physicsworld. But I don’t know much about philosophy. What I do know is that there are some “physicists” who rather forget what PhD stands for and sneer at philosophy. They tend to be more mathematicians than physicists though, typically some celebrity with a book to flog who wants to be the guy who tells you how it is. So he knocks the competition. See physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/46661

Sadly the James Webb telescope is under threat. See physicsworld.com/blog/2011/08/th … ebb_s.html

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I’m trying to think of some way in which it would affect philosophy. I’m coming up blank.

Can someone try to give me a brief narrative of how this could affect philosophy? Something like, “They discover how galaxies were formed and then such-and-such philosophy is proven wrong/right or the discovery raises such-and-such metaphysical questions” or something, idk. I just can’t think of a way in which anybody’s philosophical ideas would change because of this.

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A lot of current philosophy is actually in bed with “science”, so I’m not sure what you mean lizbeth.

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It has to do with time and the creation of the universe, two things philosophy here seems to concern itself with. I’m not talking about published and recognized philosophers, necessarily, who seem to have more questions about reality and the human condition–although maybe I am. Will the JWST give evidence that ‘reality’ isn’t what we think it is? I don’t think it will–but I think it’ll add another dimension to our way of thinking.

FarSight, since the work is continuing, the project has received the grant monies it needs to proceed.