Gravity's ghost ; and, Big dog : scientific discovery and social analysis in the twenty-first century

Gravity’s Ghost and Big Dog brings to life science’s efforts to detect cosmic gravitational waves. These ripples in space-time are predicted by general relativity, and their discovery will not only demonstrate the truth of Einstein’s theories but also transform astronomy. Although no gravitational wave has ever been directly detected, the previous five years have been an especially exciting period in the field. Here sociologist Harry Collins offers readers an unprecedented view of gravitational wave research and explains what it means for an analyst to do work of this kind. Collins was embedded with the gravitational wave physicists as they confronted two possible discoveries—“Big Dog,” fully analyzed in this volume for the first time, and the “Equinox Event,” which was first chronicled by Collins in Gravity’s Ghost . Collins records the agonizing arguments that arose as the scientists worked out what they had seen and how to present it to the world, along the way demonstrating how even the most statistical of sciences rest on social and philosophical choices. Gravity’s Ghost and Big Dog draws on nearly fifty years of fieldwork observing scientists at the American Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory and elsewhere around the world to offer an inspired commentary on the place of science in society today. "In part an account of sociological fieldwork among scientists in the field and part astronomy-history mystery. . . . a terrific read." — Nature Gravity's Ghost and Big Dog brings to life science's efforts to detect cosmic gravitational waves. These ripples in space-time are predicted by general relativity, and their discovery will not only demonstrate the truth of Einstein's theories but also transform astronomy. Although no gravitational wave has ever been directly detected, the previous five years have been an exciting period in the field. Sociologist Harry Collins offers readers an unprecedented view of the research and explains what it means for an analyst to do work of this kind. Collins was embedded with the gravitational wave physicists as they confronted two possible discoveries—"Big Dog," fully analyzed in this volume for the first time, and the "Equinox Event," which was first chronicled by Collins in Gravity's Ghost . Collins records the agonizing arguments that arose as the scientists worked out what they had seen and how to present it to the world, along the way demonstrating how even the most statistical of sciences rest on social and philosophical choices. Gravity's Ghost and Big Dog draws on nearly fifty years of fieldwork observing scientists at the American Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory and elsewhere around the world to offer an inspired commentary on the place of science in society today. "The physics junkie or philosophy of science enthusiast . . . will find lots to mull over." — Science News "Makes for very entertaining reading." —Daniel Kennefick, University of Arkansas, author of Traveling at the Speed of Thought __Gravity’s Ghost and Big Dog__ brings to life science’s efforts to detect cosmic gravitational waves. These ripples in space-time are predicted by general relativity, and their discovery will not only demonstrate the truth of Einstein’s theories but also transform astronomy. Although no gravitational wave has ever been directly detected, the previous five years have been an especially exciting period in the field. Here sociologist Harry Collins offers readers an unprecedented view of gravitational wave research and explains what it means for an analyst to do work of this kind.Collins was embedded with the gravitational wave physicists as they confronted two possible discoveries—“BigDog,” fully analyzed in this volume for the first time, and the “Equinox Event,” which was first chronicled by Collins in __Gravity’s Ghost__. Collins records the agonizing arguments that arose as the scientists worked out what they had seen and how to present it to the world, along the way demonstrating how even the most statistical of sciences rest on social and philosophical choices. __Gravity’s Ghost and Big Dog__ draws on nearly fifty years of fieldwork observing scientists at the American Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory and elsewhere around the world to offer an inspired commentary on the place of science in society today. Gravity's Ghost and Big Dog brings to life sciences efforts to detect cosmic gravitational waves. These ripples in space-time are predicted by general relativity, and their discovery will not only demonstrate the truth of Einstein's theories but also transform astronomy. Although no gravitational wave has ever been directly detected, the previous five years have been an especially exciting period in the field. Here sociologist Harry Collins offers readers an unprecedented view of gravitational wave research and explains what it means for an analyst to do work of this kind. Collins was embedded with the gravitational-wave physicists as they confronted two possible discoveries-"Big Dog," fully analyzed in this volume for the first time, and the "Equinox Event," which was. first chronicled by Collins in Gravity's Ghost. Collins records the agonizing arguments that arose as scientists worked out what they had seen and how to present it to the world, along the way demonstrating how even the most statistical of sciences rest on social and philosophical choices. Gravity's Ghost and Big Dog draws on nearly fifty years of fieldwork observing scientists at the American Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory and elsewhere around the world to offer an inspired commentary on the place of science in society today. Book jacket Contents 8 Preface to the Enlarged Edition 10 I. Gravity’s Ghost: The Equinox Event 12 Introduction 14 1. Gravitational-Wave Detection 20 2. The Equinox Event: Early Days 36 3. Resistance to Discovery 62 4. The Equinox Event: The Middle Period 84 5. The Hidden Histories of Statistical Tests 106 6. The Equinox Event: The Denouement 124 7. Gravity’s Ghost 140 Envoi. Science in the Twenty-First Century 166 Postscript. Thinking after Arcadia 176 Appendix 1. The Burst Group Checklist as of October 2007 182 Appendix 2. The Arcadia Abstract 192 II. Big Dog 194 Introduction. Big Dog Barks 196 8. Black Holes Observed? 202 9. Evidential Culture and Time 214 10. Time Slides and Trials Factor 218 11. Little Dogs 226 12. Discovery or Evidence 242 13. Closing Arguments 266 14. Twenty-Five Philosophical Decisions 282 15. Arcadia. Opening the Envelope 290 Appendix 3. Parameter Estimation 304 Glossary of Tree Pseudonyms with Descriptors 306 III. The Trees and the Forest: Sociological and Methodological Reflection 308 16. The Sociology of Knowledge and Three Waves of Science Studies 310 17. Methodological Reflection: On Going Native 332 Appendix 4. A Sociologist Tries to Do Some Physics 368 Acknowledgments 376 References 380 Index 386 This work brings to life science's efforts to detect cosmic gravitational waves. These ripples in space-time are predicted by general relativity, and their discovery will not only demonstrate the truth of Einstein's theories but also transform astronomy. Although no gravitational wave has ever been directly detected, the previous five years have been an especially exciting period in the field. Here sociologist Harry Collins offers readers an unprecedented view of gravitational wave research and explains what it means for an analyst to do work of this kind