Recent work in artificial intelligence, or AI, has produced programs capable of serious intellectual work in science. Results from AI are used to show that there exist mechanized procedures for discovering hypotheses and that these methods often lead to plausible hypotheses. The question to be answered is: By what methods can a computer program find plausible explanations of empirical data? To answer this, the common metaphor of search for describing several AI programs is examined followed by a look at examples (...) of programs actually constructed. Five types of search considered are: random, exhaustive, selective, heuristic, and opportunistic search. From there, the paper generalizes to some conclusions about mechanizing hypothesis formation. (shrink)

The Stern School is undertaking a program to teach business ethics to Stern professors and others who have an interest in ethics but no previous formal instruction. The two-year series of faculty seminars will produce a cadre of professors who are well equipped to do research, to write scholarly papers, and to teach business ethics at a high level. The documentation of the seminar series will be available for others to use.