I am a philosopher and a research associate in the „Reproducibility has Politics“ research project (2026–2029). This project is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation and enables me me to turn philosophy of science into philosophy within science.

"Reproducibility has Politics” (2026-2029)

It is a curious dilemma, often catching researchers off guard, that those entrenched in computer-intensive sciences struggle with reproducibility. Against a common assumption, the use of computers does not guarantee the repetition of exact results. While computing power, algorithms and infrastructures have evolved swiftly, the adaption of scientific standards of its use have lagged behind. Should we consider a result reproducible only if it accommodates variations in hardware, software, parameters, and training data? Or quite the opposite? Who, then, has—or presumes to have—the authority to set these standards, thereby controlling the balance between standardization and plurality, i.e. what must be adhered to as scientific rigor, and what can and should be welcomed as innovative divergence?

The project charts and analyzes the current discourse on reproducibility in computer-intensive sciences. We concentrate on the cases of computational chemistry and thermodynamics and integrate philosophy, history, and sociology of science, including close collaboration with practitioners. Through this transdisciplinary approach, we get access to the complex dynamics between epistemic and political factors. Furthermore, we examine whether and how certain standards for reproducibility steer practice toward prediction as the ultimate epistemic goal, which is consequential for what society expect from science.