The role of theory in biology: How you can be, and likely already are, a theoretician
authorea.com
Most biologists think theory is someone else's job — but this article argues every experiment you run already smuggles in a theoretical framework, whether you admit it or not.
Philosophy of ScienceHypothetico-Deductive ModelScientific RealismTheory-Ladenness of Observation
Theory Briefing
- Every biological experiment implicitly tests a theoretical model, making self-described 'non-theorists' theoreticians by default.
- The article challenges the uneasy relationship many researchers have with formal theory, arguing it stifles scientific progress.
- Embracing theory explicitly in biology sharpens hypotheses and accelerates discovery — the philosophy of science made practical.