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Foundations of Science Lab
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A philosophy of science lab that asks what scientific knowledge is and connects the question to practical problems.
AboutAbout the lab
Asking what scientific knowledge is, through philosophy
The Foundations of Science Lab studies philosophy of science, which asks "What is scientific knowledge?" and "How can scientific knowledge be obtained?"
Traditionally, research centered on the philosophy of physics, but the lab is now building a structure that allows philosophy of science to be studied from a broader perspective.
The lab aims not to keep its results within philosophy, but to link them to practical problems such as health and environmental risks and discuss them in that context.
The lab does not accept undergraduate thesis students; it is a lab where students study in the Science Communication Course of the Department of Natural History Sciences, Graduate School of Science.
Key terms
- Philosophy of science
- A field that uses philosophical methods to examine what scientific knowledge is and how it is obtained
- Philosophy of physics
- A field that re-examines, from a philosophical standpoint, the assumptions underlying physical theories, such as time, space, and probability
- Science communication
- Conveying and discussing the content and significance of science between researchers and society
NewsLab news
An online information session on graduate admissions for the Science Communication Course was held
A doctoral student received the Oral Presentation Award (Encouragement Prize) from the Japan Association for Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies philosophy of science, asking about the nature of scientific knowledge and how it is obtained, in light of themes such as reality, experience, and probability. It aims to link the results to practical problems, such as social decision-making.
*Illustrative imageAsking what scientific knowledge is
The lab considers what scientific knowledge is and how it can be obtained, both in general and with respect to individual sciences. It also accepts students who work on traditional problems in the philosophy of science, including the philosophy of physics.
*Illustrative imageApplying philosophy of science to social decision-making
In problems such as health and environmental risks, where scientific knowledge alone cannot determine a decision, the lab clarifies what kind of knowledge is involved and what criteria can be used to compare competing claims. As a branch of science communication, the lab is working to pioneer this area.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Foundations of Science Lab consist of faculty, research fellows, and doctoral and master's students.As of 2026
- ProfessorMasahiro Matsuo
VoicesStudent voices
Compiled from answers by students who were in the lab. Ratings and reviews reflect individual students' experiences, not the lab's official views.
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Armillary sphere, 1547” Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Asking what scientific knowledge is: “Reading room ( )” /\ \/\/ /\ from Jackson Mississippi, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Applying philosophy of science to social decision-making: “SMOKESTACKS OF CHEMICAL PLANT - NARA - 546143” Marc St. Gil / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Low-Dimensional Materials Physics Lab): “900 magnet new” Speeding Cars at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Nuclear Theory Lab): “REX-ISOLDE” Maximilien Brice / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Science and Technology Communication Lab): “Manitoba Museum Planetarium” TMMCommunications / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Mathematical Physics Lab): “Penrose tiling in CC-3, IIIT Allahabad” Deepak Purti / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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