Scientific Experience

Ongoing Empirical Research with Jen Coane and the Memory and Language Lab at Colby College:

We have been developing a paradigm intended to study the human tendency to anthropomorphize without assuming that anthropomorphism is always an error of inflating perceived intelligence of animals (inspired by ideas in my paper "Anthropomorphism as Cognitive Bias"). We are using an affective priming task to see if people automatically attribute mental states like happiness to animals that look like they are smiling, even those that do not signal happiness by smiling. Our preliminary work has been presented at 2019 meeting of the Psychonomic Society in Montreal, the 2018 Cognitive Aging Conference in Atlanta, and the 2018 Varieties of Mind Conference at Cambridge University.

Previously, I have done scientific research in a number of fields not directly related to my philosophical work. I value this experience immensely (just ask anyone who has been around when I get excited about cephalopods), but it has also given me experience in a number of scientific fields that influences my work in philosophy of science generally.

Field Research Assistant at Montana Conservation Science Institute, Missoula, MT. Falls 2007, 2006.

Responsibilities: Gathering and cataloging behavioral field data on a population of bighorn sheep at the National Bison Range wildlife refuge in Moise, Montana; including primary analysis of dominance and mating behaviors, as well as collecting audio recording samples and fecal samples from individual animals.

Research Assistant at Biocurrents Research Center, Marine Biological Laboratories, Woods Hole, MA. Summers 2007, 2006, 2004, 2003.

Responsibilities: Development and testing of various biosensors for extracellular in vitro chemical detection and measurement using amperometric and fluorescent optic methods.

Research Assistant at Hanlon Lab at Marine Resources Center, Marine Biological Laboratories, Woods Hole, MA. Spring 2007.

Responsibilities: Design of apparatus for photography of camouflage reactions of cuttlefish (sepia officinalis) in natural and artificial substrates, including production of substrates to elicit specific responses; photography and primary analysis of data.

Undergraduate Researcher at Huwel Lab at Wesleyan University Physics Department, Middletown, CT. Fall 2005-Spring 2006.

Responsibilities: Research on quantum energy states of electrons in diatomic sodium (Na2) molecules through photodissociation of Na2 ions by high powered laser.