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Some transformative impacts of computer science on astronomy

Some transformative impacts of computer science on astronomy. Roger F Malina Observatoire Astronomique de Marseille Provence (OAMP) President Leonardo/OLATS: Observatoire Leonardo des Arts et Technosciences . Three areas. Virtual Observatories Data paid for by tax payers is public

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Some transformative impacts of computer science on astronomy

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  1. Some transformative impacts of computer science on astronomy Roger F Malina Observatoire Astronomique de Marseille Provence (OAMP) President Leonardo/OLATS: Observatoire Leonardo des Arts et Technosciences

  2. Three areas • Virtual Observatories • Data paid for by tax payers is public • Few astronomers now take their own data • ScientificSimulation • The Simulation is the Theory • Scientific Visualisation • Most data is mediated by computerised instruments • How to make data ‘intimate”

  3. The Hubble Deep Field

  4. Virtual Observatories • 75% of Hubble Telescope publications come from scientists ‘mining’ the archive • Most astronomers no longer “observe” • New “fields: “Multi-wavelength astronomy” • New professions: Data Analysts • Cf the 19th century “calculators” • Dan Boorstin: Epistemological Inversion • Data Poor to Data Rich with respect to Theory

  5. Virtual Observatories • Rebirth of amateur astronomy • NASA public data release policies ( 6 months) • “Crowd sourcing” projects: • Berkeley Open Infrastructure Consortium • SETI@home, Stardust, Martian Craters…… • Petabyte revolution: “end of theory” • Statistical analysis of very large data sets • database science • Correlations, trend analysis,

  6. The “Millenium Simulation”

  7. Scientific Simulation • Many problems not amenable to “compact predictive descriptions” cf E=MC2, F=MA • Complex systems, chaotic systems, many body problems, • Stellar evolution, planetary formation, structure formation in universe • The Simulation is the Hypothesis

  8. Scientific Simulation • C Hayles: retrodiction versus prediction • S Kauffman : Phenomena “beyond prediction” • Galilean Fallacy: causality • Search for “critical comparisons” • Comparison of Computer Codes • Problem of non unique solutions • Cf “inversion’ problem. • Same phenomena may have multiple explanatory simulations

  9. Visualisation, Sonification:\ Making data intimate

  10. Scientific Visualisation • All astronomical data is now digital • Kodak has stopped making photographic plates for astronomers • The majority of astronomical data comes from light/energy “invisible” to humans • Ontological challenge: • We have no sensory experience with the phenomena we study • How to do ‘ground truth”

  11. Some Impacts of Computer Science on Astronomy • The scientific method is changing • scientific simulation as the explanation • The content of astronomy is changing • New problems can be attacked • Coupling to government/industry funding • The profession of astronomer is changing • Social organisation of astronomy..internet.. • New opportunities for art-science collaboration

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