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Peter Vickers

Associate Professor in Philosophy of Science, Durham University
In 2003 I received a BSc in Mathematics and Philosophy from the University of York, followed by an MA (2005) in History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Leeds. This led to a PhD in history and philosophy of science (2009), also at Leeds, supervised by Prof. Steven French. The starting point was certain difficulties concerning the representation and reconstruction of inconsistent scientific theories.

Gradually I developed a new methodology for analysing debates about inconsistencies in science which I called ‘theory eliminativism’. This was the major focus during my year as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh, USA (2010-11).

I received a contract from Oxford University Press to develop my PhD thesis into a book, entitled Understanding Inconsistent Science, and this was published in 2013. I started as a lecturer at Durham University in 2011. Philosophy aside, I am a keen runner.

Alien life is out there, but our theories are probably steering us away from it

Jan 02, 2020 18:10 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science

If we discovered evidence of alien life, would we even realise it? Life on other planets could be so different from what were used to that we might not recognise any biological signatures that it produces. Recent years...

Economy

[Editorial Cartoon] “Tariff Chicken Game” – U.S. and China Speed Toward Economic Catastrophe

Amid rising tensions in the U.S.-China trade war, this weeks editorial cartoon depicts a dramatic chicken game scenario, where two economic superpowers appear locked in a collision course with potentially devastating...

Trade War Escalates: China Fires Back with 84% Tariff on US Goods

China escalated the stakes of the trade war with America by imposing an 84% tariff on American products as a retaliatory measure to President Trumps recent tariffs on Chinese products. The retaliatory tariff which...

China's Treasury "Nuclear Option": Bluff or Reality?

If China were to sell its $761 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds, the immediate effects would be higher U.S. Treasury yields, which would rise by 30 to 60 basis points, raising the borrowing cost and cutting economic growth....

U.S. Tariffs Threaten Wine Retailers as Import Costs Soar

Wine retailers across the U.S. are bracing for impact as the Trump administration imposes a 20% tariff on goods from the European Union, with imported wine and liquor prices set to surge. Adam Williams, owner of Ansley...

BOJ’s Ueda Cautious on Rate Hikes Amid U.S. Tariff Uncertainty

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda emphasized the central banks cautious stance on future monetary policy in response to heightened global uncertainties, particularly stemming from U.S. tariffs. Speaking to parliament on...

Politics

IRS Chief to Resign Amid Controversial Tax Data Sharing Deal with Homeland Security

The acting head of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Melanie Krause, is set to resign following a controversial agreement to share undocumented immigrants tax data with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),...

Ken Paxton to Challenge Sen. John Cornyn in 2026 Texas GOP Primary

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced his bid to unseat fellow Republican Senator John Cornyn in the 2026 GOP primary. Speaking on Fox News The Ingraham Angle, Paxton declared his intention to bring stronger...

Trump Slams TSMC Subsidy, Threatens 100% Tax Without U.S. Manufacturing

President Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration for awarding a $6.6 billion subsidy to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), arguing that semiconductor giants like TSMC do not need government...

Trump Moves to Block State Climate Laws to Boost Fossil Fuel Industry

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new executive order on Tuesday aimed at blocking state-level climate laws that restrict fossil fuel use and promote clean energy. This latest move underscores Trumps ongoing efforts to...

Pam Bondi to Lead DOJ Initiative Defending Second Amendment Rights

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is set to spearhead a new Justice Department initiative aimed at protecting gun rights under the Second Amendment, according to a memo reviewed by Reuters. The memo outlines Bondis plan to...

Science

AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi Gets US Approval for Bladder Cancer Treatment

AstraZenecas drug Imfinzi (NASDAQ: AZN) has received U.S. approval to treat adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a significant advancement in cancer therapy. The approval allows Imfinzi to be used in...

Sanofi’s New Hemophilia Drug Qfitlia Gains FDA Approval with Breakthrough Bimonthly Dosing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qfitlia, a groundbreaking hemophilia treatment by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY). Designed for patients aged 12 and older with hemophilia A or B,...

FDA Vaccine Chief Peter Marks Resigns Amid Controversy Over Transparency

Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) top vaccine official, has resigned after reportedly being forced out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to The Wall Street Journal....

What are the chances an asteroid will impact Earth in 2032?

For a few days in mid-February, headlines around the world buzzed about the potential for an asteroid to hit the Earth in 2032 specifically, asteroid 2024 YR4. The chance of this impact rose to a high of 3.1 per cent on...

A new study reveals the structure of violent winds 1,300 light years away

The planet WASP-121b is extreme. Its a gas giant almost twice as big as Jupiter orbiting extremely close to its star50 times closer than the Earth does around the Sun. WASP-121b is so close to its star that tidal forces...

Technology

US Senators Question Microsoft and Google Over AI Cloud Partnerships

Two Democratic U.S. senators are pressing Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) for transparency over their cloud computing partnerships with leading artificial intelligence firms. Senators Elizabeth Warren of...

Telegram Fined $80K by Moscow Court for Extremist Content Refusal

A Moscow court has fined Telegram Messenger Inc. 7 million roubles (approximately $80,000) for refusing to remove content allegedly promoting extremist activities, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Court...

Samsung Posts Resilient Q1 Profit on Strong Chip and Smartphone Demand

Samsung Electronics reported a better-than-expected 0.2% drop in Q1 operating profit, reaching 6.6 trillion won ($4.49 billion), beating market forecasts of 5.1 trillion won. This resilience was driven by solid memory chip...

Meta Unveils Llama 4 Maverick and Scout, Boosts AI Ambitions

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) has unveiled its latest AI modelsLlama 4 Maverick and Llama 4 Scoutcalling them its most advanced large language models (LLMs) to date. Designed as multimodal AI systems, they can process and...

Elon Musk’s Lawsuit Against OpenAI Heads to Jury Trial in 2026

Elon Musks high-profile lawsuit against OpenAI is set for a jury trial in spring 2026, as ruled by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The case centers on Musks...