Humans - the great meaning assigners.
A comment to Pierre Hansen's speech "Can the computer make scientific discoveries?" [page XLVII] at Euro 2010 in Portugal.

Intro
In the abstract to his lecture at Euro 2010 Pierre Hansen wrote:
"Is there a systematic method leading to scientific discovery? To this question, Francis Bacon answers yes, while both Albert Einstein and Karl Popper answer no. As in so many cases, enormous progress in computer power, and in its efficient use, renew the question. Taking examples from geometry, graph and number theory, physics and chemistry, we will illustrate some clear successes (and some failures). This will lead to some speculation on the balance between automation and inspiration in discovery."
More specifically, a question has been raised, if the computers can make scientific discoveries.
Not disregarding important issues raised in P.Hansen's speech, I have one comment:

ONLY HUMANS PERCEIVE DISCOVERIES

Explanation
So far computer generated, or computer supported, proofs mean nothing to the computers. They just produce some string of symbols that "means" nothing for them, or means as much as any other string. Complete gibberish is equal to, e.g., a proof aswering any famous open mathematical problem. Thus, the proofs, or discoveries, that they make mean noting to them.
So far only humans are able to interpret computer generated proofs, or discoveries, and assign meaning or importance to them. Thus, you need a human to make a discovery.

Now, the important next questions are:

  1. What is the "meaning/importance" itself?
  2. How is "meaning/importance" assigned?

A wild guesses to the second question:

Currently only humans are able to assign meaning to discoveries (or perceive their importance) in this way.
1) This guess was not far from the thoughts of the earlier thinkers. E.g. Ludwik Fleck. He wrote this: "Entstehung und Entwicklung einer wissenschaftlichen Tatsache. Einführung in die Lehre vom Denkstil und Denkkollektiv" in 1935.
I also dedicate this book to the adherents and followers of the faith in "reproducibility" in science.

First published by M.Drozdowski on July 19, 2010. If you'd like to comment, please send me a message.