The Role of “Missile” and “Targeting” Metaphors in Nanomedicine
In this paper I suggest that the “missile” and the “targeting” metaphors in research on nanoparticle-based drug delivery play different roles. I argue that the “missile” plays a marginal scientific role and a more important role in communication, while “targeting” has become an organizing metaphor f...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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Éditions Kimé
2019-02-01
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| Series: | Philosophia Scientiæ |
| Online Access: | http://journals.openedition.org/philosophiascientiae/1742 |
| _version_ | 1797402622725980160 |
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| author | Gry Oftedal |
| author_facet | Gry Oftedal |
| author_sort | Gry Oftedal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this paper I suggest that the “missile” and the “targeting” metaphors in research on nanoparticle-based drug delivery play different roles. I argue that the “missile” plays a marginal scientific role and a more important role in communication, while “targeting” has become an organizing metaphor for the research field. The reason, I suggest, is that targeting is the main explanandum of the field and that this metaphor continues to be relevant even as nanomedicine matures towards tackling more complex problems. Finally, I discuss recent suggestions of new complexity-oriented metaphors, and I suggest that the significant role of simplifying models and the genuine need for such models may explain why complexity metaphors have not caught on among researchers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T02:26:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9b8c1b7f257d46318db3e00ae7a285dd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1281-2463 1775-4283 |
| language | deu |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T02:26:53Z |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | Éditions Kimé |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Philosophia Scientiæ |
| spelling | doaj.art-9b8c1b7f257d46318db3e00ae7a285dd2023-12-06T15:53:43ZdeuÉditions KiméPhilosophia Scientiæ1281-24631775-42832019-02-01231395510.4000/philosophiascientiae.1742The Role of “Missile” and “Targeting” Metaphors in NanomedicineGry OftedalIn this paper I suggest that the “missile” and the “targeting” metaphors in research on nanoparticle-based drug delivery play different roles. I argue that the “missile” plays a marginal scientific role and a more important role in communication, while “targeting” has become an organizing metaphor for the research field. The reason, I suggest, is that targeting is the main explanandum of the field and that this metaphor continues to be relevant even as nanomedicine matures towards tackling more complex problems. Finally, I discuss recent suggestions of new complexity-oriented metaphors, and I suggest that the significant role of simplifying models and the genuine need for such models may explain why complexity metaphors have not caught on among researchers.http://journals.openedition.org/philosophiascientiae/1742 |
| spellingShingle | Gry Oftedal The Role of “Missile” and “Targeting” Metaphors in Nanomedicine Philosophia Scientiæ |
| title | The Role of “Missile” and “Targeting” Metaphors in Nanomedicine |
| title_full | The Role of “Missile” and “Targeting” Metaphors in Nanomedicine |
| title_fullStr | The Role of “Missile” and “Targeting” Metaphors in Nanomedicine |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of “Missile” and “Targeting” Metaphors in Nanomedicine |
| title_short | The Role of “Missile” and “Targeting” Metaphors in Nanomedicine |
| title_sort | role of missile and targeting metaphors in nanomedicine |
| url | http://journals.openedition.org/philosophiascientiae/1742 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gryoftedal theroleofmissileandtargetingmetaphorsinnanomedicine AT gryoftedal roleofmissileandtargetingmetaphorsinnanomedicine |