Phenomenology of Philosophy of Science: OPERA data

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the OPERA anomaly through the lens of philosophy of science phenomenology, offering an insider's perspective on the debate and discussing broader objectives for philosophical analysis of scientific anomalies.

Contribution

It provides a phenomenological analysis of the OPERA anomaly, highlighting the scientific and philosophical implications of the physicists' pursuit of superluminal neutrinos.

Findings

Insight into the scientific debate on superluminal neutrinos

Discussion of phenomenology's role in analyzing scientific anomalies

Broader objectives for philosophy of science phenomenology

Abstract

I observe that, as the physics side of the OPERA-anomaly story is apparently unfolding, there can still be motivation for philosophy of science to analyze the six months of madness physicists spent chasing the dream of a new fundamental-physics revolution. I here mainly report data on studies of the OPERA anomaly that could be relevant for analyses from the perspective of phenomenology of philosophy of science. Most of what I report is an insider's perspective on the debate that evolved from the original announcement by the OPERA collaboration of evidence of superluminal neutrinos. I also sketch out, from a broader perspective, some of the objectives I view as achievable for the phenomenology of philosophy of science.