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Federica Rocky Bocchi

@federicabocchi.bsky.social

Assistant Professor @UCalgary. Philosophy of science (biodiversity, measurement) & environmental justice. Impressive unimpressive stone collector, wears weird hats.

37 Posts740 Follower 90 Folgt

Alisa Bokulich @alisabokulich.bsky.social · 2w ago

After a year+ under review (no fault of @philscijournal.bsky.social) I am happy to finally share as forthc my paper "Peirce, Abduction, & Inverse Problems in the Geosciences" doi.org/10.1017/psa.... (2/3 had to be cut to fit word limit, but is part of my ever in-progress book) #HPS #phigeo #philsky

DOI: 10.1017/psa.2026.10263
This is a manuscript accepted for publication in Philosophy of Science.
This version may be subject to change during the production process.
Peirce, Abduction, and Inverse Problems in the Geosciences
Alisa Bokulich
Department of Philosophy, Boston University, Email: abokulic@bu.edu
Abstract
Charles Peirce's most well-known contribution to logic and scientific methodology is his account of abduction. However, what exactly Peirce meant by abduction is subject to perennial dispute. My aim in this paper is two-fold: First, I interpret Peirce's abduction through the lens of his research in geophysics and argue this supports interpreting it as a kind of inverse modeling. Second, I show that the methods Peirce outlined for managing the underdetermination of abductive inferences are the same as those deployed by geoscientists to manage the nonuniqueness of geophysical inversions. I conclude by emphasizing the value of reintegrating Peirce-the-Philosopher with Peirce-the-Geoscientist.
Acknowledgement
This paper is dedicated to the memory of George E. Smith (1938-2024)—a wonderful scholar, mentor, and friend whom we lost too soon. It was George's lecture on using seismology to probe the interior of the Earth that helped open up the new subfield of philosophy of seismology and that first inspired me to write this paper.

PIPoLS: People of the Italian Philosophy of Life Sciences @pipols-italy.bsky.social · 2w ago

Una folta delegazione PIPoLS alla conferenza 2026 della Society for Philosophy of Science in Practice #SPSP a Cambridge! 1. in veste professionale, 2. in veste faceta, 3. in azione ✨️ @stefanocanali.bsky.social @matildecarrera.bsky.social @chiarapertile.bsky.social @andrameneganzin.bsky.social

Federica Rocky Bocchi @federicabocchi.bsky.social · 3w ago

Wrapping my head around the epistemic and educational implications of AI-assisted (philosophy of) biology, I'm planning an activity-based professional development session at #POBAM2026. Can anyone suggest resources, or let me know how you incorporate AI into your classes---esp Phil.science?

Federica Rocky Bocchi @federicabocchi.bsky.social · 3w ago

Pochi giorni per mandare una proposta di poster, flash talk ecc per il 1 incontro di PIPoLS, il 17-8 dicembre al Politecnico di Milano. Cerchiamo studenti di master & dottorato che lavorano nell'area (o si interessano) della filosofia delle scienze della vita con un approccio pratico.

PIPoLS: People of the Italian Philosophy of Life Sciences@pipols-italy.bsky.social · 3mo ago

🔥Call for PIPoLS Workshop!🔥 📆17-18 dicembre 2026 Il primo workshop PIPoLS è all'orizzonte! 🗒️In occasione del nostro primo evento in presenza, invitiamo dottorande/i e studentesse/i di laurea magistrale a inviare una proposta per un flash talk, un poster o un breve video da presentare all’incontro.

Federica Rocky Bocchi @federicabocchi.bsky.social · 3w ago

Stiamo sollecitando chiunque si interessi di filosofia delle scienze della vita (biologia, medicina, ma anche antropologia, dati & tecnologia, conservazione ecc) a iscriversi al nostro network di PIPoLS. L’iscrizione è ovviamente gratuita e permette di rimanere aggiornat sulle attività del network.

PIPoLS: People of the Italian Philosophy of Life Sciences@pipols-italy.bsky.social · 4w ago

Se sei interessat* a partecipare, compila questo form e verrai inserit* nella mailing list 😊 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Matilde Carrera @matildecarrera.bsky.social · last mo.

Today I defended my PhD! 🎓 I’m so grateful to Alisa, Miguel, and Adrian for their incredible support, and thoughtful feedback. My graduate school journey at BU has been truly formative, shaping my research and the person I am. Thank you for believing in me every step of the way!

Alisa Bokulich@alisabokulich.bsky.social · last mo.

Congrats to the newly minted ✨Dr. Carrera✨ (@matildecarrera.bsky.social) who successfully defended her brilliant dissertation "Turning Data Into Evidence in Human Origins Research" today with flying colors!! Woo-hoo 🙌 🎉🎉🎓 #PhDone Thanks to @adrian-currie.bsky.social for serving as external #philsci

Alisa, Matilde, & Miguel in person & Adrian on a large TV screen post defense in seminar room.

Federica Rocky Bocchi @federicabocchi.bsky.social · last mo.

Sept.2023 - June 2026. My time as a postdoc at @ucph.bsky.social has come to an end. Thank you Joeri, Sara, Srijan, Olivia, Yoshi, Daan and many more for the special moments.

Federica Rocky Bocchi @federicabocchi.bsky.social · last mo.

I had a great time presenting on biodiversity metrics assessment at the Society for the Study of Measurement conference in Edinburgh. We had a session on the philosophy of measurement in biology with Patrick Ferree (cell biology) and Alan Love (biomechanics).

Alisa Bokulich@alisabokulich.bsky.social · last mo.

Brilliant talk on biodiversity metrics by my former PhD @federicabocchi.bsky.social #philsci

Federica in front of slide "Virtues & Trade offs
in Selecting Biodiversity Metrics
within a
Global Institutional Framework
FEDERICA BOCCHI
federica.bocchi@ind.ku.dk
W JOERI WITTEVEEN & ARNE MOERS

Alisa Bokulich @alisabokulich.bsky.social · last mo.

Brilliant talk on biodiversity metrics by my former PhD @federicabocchi.bsky.social #philsci

slide: WHAT IS
BIODIVERSITY?
fiat ptm 8.0
witti presto hitader
GENETIC DIVERSITY
• VARIETY OF GENES AND INHERITED TRAITS WITHIN A SINGLE POPULATION OR SPECIES, OR BETWEEN SPECIES CAPTURES SPECIES ADAPTABILITY

EDGE METRIC
PLOS. On
即外一
the EDGE: Conservation Priorities Based onl
SIMPLICITY
relies en already-avallable data
COMMUNICABILITY
save the branches of the Tree of Life.
ROBUSTNESS
scalatue across anylorenes
EDGE =In(l+ED)+GE + In(2)
FIT FOR ZSL PURPOSES
assigns high scores to relatively forgotten species
INSTITUTIONAL
INTEROPERABILITY
with CBD & IUCN...
ACTIONABILITY
useful

CRITICISMS
EDGE does not capture what it is supposed to capture
EDGE METRIC
SOURCES OF THE INADEQUACY
• EDGE did not adequately represent phylogenetic diversity.
• ED component:
• treats phylogenetic uniqueness as a property of individual species
• but phylogenetic uniqueness is a relational property

Marshall Abrams @marshall0i.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Please consider joining us on June 15, 2026 for a webinar titled "Philosophers of Science at Work: Exploring Non-Academic Careers". docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Philosophers of Science at Work

Please consider joining us on June 15, 2026 for a webinar titled "Philosophers of Science at Work: Exploring Non-Academic Careers". Its focus will be a high-level overview and introduction to the non-...

docs.google.com

Federica Rocky Bocchi @federicabocchi.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Spread the word! Abbiamo inaugurato il network italiano di filosofie delle scienze della vita in pratica (#PIPoLS) e già siamo all'opera con il nostro primo workshop, che si terrà il 17-18 Dicembre al Politecnico di Milano. L'evento é supportato da @ishpssb.bsky.social come #ISHoffyear workshop

PIPoLS: People of the Italian Philosophy of Life Sciences@pipols-italy.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Federica Rocky Bocchi @federicabocchi.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Such a lovely & productive time at the 2026 MBL seminar in the history of biology on reconstructing extinction at Woods Hole. Thanks @alisabokulich.bsky.social organizing, ad maiora!

Alisa Bokulich@alisabokulich.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Great to see 2 of my former PhD students @federicabocchi.bsky.social & Katherine Valde here at MBL doing a brilliant job. #PhiGeo #philsci

3 women on blue sky day in front of a sun dial tower by the sea

Alisa Bokulich @alisabokulich.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Great to see 2 of my former PhD students @federicabocchi.bsky.social & Katherine Valde here at MBL doing a brilliant job. #PhiGeo #philsci

Federica Rocky Bocchi @federicabocchi.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Felicissima di far parte di PIPoLS!

PIPoLS: People of the Italian Philosophy of Life Sciences@pipols-italy.bsky.social · 3mo ago

📣Nasce #PIPoLS, People of the Italian Philosophy of Life Sciences!📣In questo e nei prossimi thread vi racconteremo chi siamo, i nostri obiettivi e i valori che condividiamo. Seguiteci e condividete per restare aggiornati sulle nostre attività! ⏭️ #philsky #philbio #philmed #philcogsci #evosky

Shane Mulligan @shanem-editor.bsky.social · 3mo ago

My mind is blown that this book was even written. Looking forward to learning and thinking about this! "A historical and philosophical exploration of the organism-environment relationship and its role in shaping biological thought."

Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda@alejandrofabregastejeda.com · 5mo ago

What a joy to finally share the cover of The Organism–Environment Pairing (@mitpress.bsky.social)! The 📗 will be out on May 12 📆! I look forward to the conversations it sparks among scientists, philosophers & historians! mitpress.mit.edu/978026205282... #evosky #histsci #philsci #philsky #booksky 🌱🐋

Book cover with a green gradient background for "The Organism–Environment Pairing: A Historical and Philosophical Reappraisal" by Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda (MIT Press, 2026). The book series label “The Vienna Series in Theoretical Biology” appears at the top. The title is set in large, bold lettering using three colors: white (“The” and “Pairing”), warm yellow (“Organism–”), and bright green (“Environment”). The subtitle appears below in smaller white text, and the author’s name is printed at the bottom. In the lower right, a monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) rests on clusters of pink milkweed flowers. Behind it, a large pale-green butterfly silhouette fills the background; its outline follows the shape of a red lacewing butterfly (Cethosia biblis). The layered butterflies visually echo the book’s central idea of an organism–environment pairing.

Yoshinari Yoshida @yoshinariyoshida.bsky.social · 4mo ago

We will hold a workshop: "The Epistemology of Experimentation in Biology" this Friday, April 17 from 13:00-15:00 at UCPH. @federicoboem.bsky.social and I will present on epistemic issues concerning scientific protocols! #hps #philsci @federicabocchi.bsky.social

Alisa Bokulich @alisabokulich.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Starting soon! Sea Level Rise: Measurement, Understanding, Adaptation Hybrid lectures free to register below www.conncoll.edu/academics/ma...

$Photo of sea with 3 women one man superimposed & text: LEVEL ENVIRONMENT RISE Friends SATURDAY 4/11 FULL DAY OF SPEAKERS The Fall & Rise of Sea Level Measurements: A Brief History & Its Philosophical Lessons Alisa Bokulich, Boston University Rising Seas, Rising Voices: Indigenous Adaptation, the WAMPUM Framework, and the Women of Wampum Kelsey Leonard, University of Water\ Climate Disaster in NYC: Assessing Four Post-Sandy puttic Investment Strategies Tammy Lewis, CUNY-Brooklyn Colleg 4 Coastal Sea-Level Acceleration and High-Tide Flooding in the United States Christopher Piecuch$

Dr. Michelle I. Turner@chaco-arch.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Symposium coming up at Connecticut College on sea level rise. Free and open to the public, with a fantastic roster of scholars from multiple fields.

Federica Rocky Bocchi @federicabocchi.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Mason Majszak is presenting our work at the annual Notre Dame HPS conference. We look at scenarios at the science-policy interface challenging mainstream accounts of expertise. We propose a notion of emergent expertise, drawing on our empirical research, social epistemology & political phil.science.

Adrian Currie @adrian-currie.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Me and @federicabocchi.bsky.social on paleoecology & how it might help us think about our relationship to nature & how it might help us think about the future… #philsci

PhilSci-Archive@philsci-archive.bsky.social · 7mo ago

New on the Archive: Bocchi, Federica and Currie, Adrian (2026) Ecologies of the Past. [Preprint] https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/27880/

Michela Massimi @michelamassimi.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Registration is open for this event 16-17 March @royalsociety.org with programme (titles and abstracts) available online: royalsociety.org/science-even.... In person and online.

Science as a global public good? From the right to participate in science to science governance | Royal Society

Science+ meeting organised by Professor Geoffrey Boulton FRS and Professor Michela Massimi FRSE

royalsociety.org

The Royal Society@royalsociety.org · 7mo ago

The role of science for democratic societies has never been more important. Register for our upcoming scientific meeting on 16-17 March 2026 and explore the theoretical and practical consequences of treating science as a global public good: https://bit.ly/3Y42i4F

Stefano Canali @stefanocanali.bsky.social · 8mo ago

📢Job ad! Join us at Politecnico di Milano in an interdisciplinary collaboration between philosophy of science and biomedical engineering on transitions from animal research, with a 3-years postdoc (submission deadline: 12 January 2026) www.meta.polimi.it/3-years-post.... #philsci #philsky #sts

3 Years Postdoc: Transitions From Animal-Based Approaches in Biomedicine – META | PoliMi

meta.polimi.it

Federica Rocky Bocchi @federicabocchi.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Happy holidays! Today my paper "Turning Biodiversity Data into Evidence" is officially out on BioSocieties. This is the first paper of a special issue on Data Communities co-edited with Paola Castaño & Emma Cavazzoni. link.springer.com/article/10.1... Stay tuned for the other contributions!

Turning biodiversity data into evidence: the role of protocols in the epistemology of evidence-based conservation - BioSocieties

Proponents of evidence-based conservation (EBC) maintain that environmental intervention ought to be based on biodiversity data and data synthesis, instead of relying on unproven theory, individual ex...

link.springer.com

Michela Massimi @michelamassimi.bsky.social · 9mo ago

I will be celebrating World Philosophy Day this week by giving a talk in Copenhagen on the profound influence of Kierkegaard’s philosophy on Niels Bohr’s view on the nature of physical reality and the ideal of an open world in his 1950 letter to the UN. Part of this conference openworld.ku.dk/ow25/

Programme – University of Copenhagen

openworld.ku.dk

Justin Weinberg@dailynous.com · 9mo ago

World Philosophy Day is next Thursday. What will you (or your department) be doing to celebrate?

Federica Rocky Bocchi @federicabocchi.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Always a pleasure to be back @alisabokulich.bsky.social

Alisa Bokulich@alisabokulich.bsky.social · 10mo ago

It was great to have @federicabocchi.bsky.social back in town from Copenhagen to workshop her project on ethical issues in open biodiversity data with the Phi-Geo group today. #philsci

Federica in a library in front of a screen.

Federica Rocky Bocchi @federicabocchi.bsky.social · 10mo ago

This is happening tomorrow, Sunday October 19th!

Alisa Bokulich @alisabokulich.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Excited our paper "Are We in a 6th Mass Extinction?" accepted in 2022 is now out @ BJPS! It began as UROP project w/ undergrad Gloria, expanded to a COVID lockdown project w/ Phi-Geo group, Sect 5 became kernel Federica's dissert & Sect 7 Aja's dissertation. Read ⬇️ doi.org/10.1086/722107 #HPS ⚒️

Are We in a Sixth Mass Extinction? The Challenges of Answering and Value of Asking
Federica Bocchi, Alisa Bokulich, Leticia Castillo Brache, Gloria Grand-Pierre, and Aja Watkins
PDF
PDF PLUS
Abstract
Full Text

Abstract
In both scientific and popular circles, it is often said that we are in the midst of a sixth mass extinction. Although the urgency of our present environmental crises is not in doubt, such claims of a present mass extinction are highly controversial scientifically. Our aims are, first, to get to the bottom of this scientific debate by shedding philosophical light on the many conceptual and methodological challenges involved in answering this scientific question and, second, to offer new philosophical perspectives on what the value of asking this question has been—and whether that value persists today. We show that the conceptual challenges in defining ‘mass extinction’, uncertainties in past and present diversity assessments, and data incommensurabilities undermine a straightforward answer to the question of whether we are in, or entering, a sixth mass extinction today. More broadly, we argue that an excessive focus on the mass extinction framing can be misleading for present conservation efforts and may lead us to miss out on the many other valuable insights that Earth’s deep time can offer in guiding our future.

Zoom screenshot of 6 women smiling: Federica, Leticia, Alisa, Aja, Gloria, Matilde

Sections
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. A Brief History of the Sixth Mass Extinction Debate
3. What Is a Mass Extinction?
4. Challenges from Palaeodiversity Data
5. Challenges from Biodiversity Data
6. Incommensurabilities of Past and Current Extinctions
7. Making the Comparisons More Compatible
8. Conclusion: Rethinking the Value of Asking
Notes
References

Federica Rocky Bocchi @federicabocchi.bsky.social · 10mo ago

New paper alert! My paper "Turning Biodiversity Data into Evidence" has been accepted in BioSocieties, as part of a collection on the making and shaping of #data_communities. PREPRINT: philsci-archive.pitt.edu/26871/

Turning Biodiversity Data into Evidence: The Role of Protocols in the Epistemology of Evidence-Based Conservation - PhilSci-Archive

philsci-archive.pitt.edu

Alisa Bokulich @alisabokulich.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Call for Abstracts #HPS of Biodiversity April 30 — May 2, 2026 Copenhagen, Denmark Abstracts of 200-500 words should be submitted through: tinyurl.com/hpsbio. The deadline for submissions is Friday, November 7, 2025. Co-organized by @federicabocchi.bsky.social

Second HPS of Biodiversity Meeting

Use this form to submit your abstract

tinyurl.com

Sabina Leonelli @sabinaleonelli.bsky.social · last yr.

My article “What to do about data distance? Responsible alternatives to data sharing” now in Harvard Data Science Review as commentary on Groth & Borgman’s feature conceptualising data distance - a stimulating debate which I am grateful to be part of hdsr.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/c4t7vqmm... #philsci

What to Do About Data Distance? Responsible Alternatives to Data Sharing

hdsr.mitpress.mit.edu

Sabina Leonelli @sabinaleonelli.bsky.social · last yr.

Italian readers: articolo intervista sul “lato umano della scienza” e la relazione tra #scienza e #filosofia, messo insieme da Sofia Belardinelli a Padova: ilbolive.unipd.it/it/news/scie... #philsci 🧪

Il lato umano della scienza: la ricerca come attività sociale | Il Bo Live UniPD

La scienza è neutrale? I dati sono solo una rappresentazione dei fatti? A queste questioni si dedica la ricerca di Sabina Leonelli, filosofa della scienza, a cui abbiamo posto alcune domande sulla nat...

ilbolive.unipd.it