Agnes Bolinska
University of Toronto
Academic Year 2015-16

Agnes completed her PhD at the University of Toronto's Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology. Her dissertation examines the ways in which scientific models and other vehicles of what she calls epistemic representation act as tools for gaining information about physical systems. Agnes is particularly interested in how reasoning with different kinds of models facilitates scientific discovery. Her work on the use of model building in the discoveries of DNA and protein structure inspired her next research project, which she will begin at the Center. This project will examine how the choice of means of representation affects the pace and direction of research, with a focus on how various kinds of visual representations of molecules enabled reasoning about molecular structure in the nineteenth century. Agnes's recent publications include "Successful visual epistemic representation" (Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 2015) and "Epistemic representation, informativeness and the aim of faithful representation" (Synthese, 2013). When she's not philosophizing, Agnes enjoys swimming, running, and cycling, and especially cycle touring.