用语义变化检测分析虚粒子概念演化，揭示其发展脉络与多重含义。
Tracing the Development of the Virtual Particle Concept Using Semantic Change Detection
- 基于领域适配的BERT模型检测科学术语语义演变。
- 1950年后虚粒子概念趋于稳定但含义更复杂多样。
- 方法补充传统史哲研究，揭示文本中隐含的认知变迁。
虚粒子是奇特的存在，在基本粒子物理的理论与实验研究中占据重要地位，但其本质仍不明确。它们是否应被视为‘真实’，在科学哲学中长期存在争议。近年来，其起源与发展才成为科学史研究的新焦点。本文以虚粒子为例，探讨基于上下文词嵌入的语义变化检测（SCD）在研究特定科学概念时的有效性。结果表明，SCD指标与科学史哲研究的定性结论、依存句法分析中‘虚拟’一词的频率和语义倾向高度一致；同时，SCD还提供了额外洞见：1950年后，虚粒子概念趋于稳定，但语义更加多义。该方法为理解科学概念演化提供了量化新视角。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Virtual particles are peculiar objects. They figure prominently in much of theoretical and experimental research in elementary particle physics. But exactly what they are is far from obvious. In particular, to what extent they should be considered "real" remains a matter of controversy in philosophy of science. Also their origin and development has only recently come into focus of scholarship in the history of science. In this study, we propose using the intriguing case of virtual particles to discuss the efficacy of Semantic Change Detection (SCD) based on contextualized word embeddings from a domain-adapted BERT model in studying specific scientific concepts. We find that the SCD metrics align well with qualitative research insights in the history and philosophy of science, as well as with the results obtained from Dependency Parsing to determine the frequency and connotations of the term "virtual." Still, the metrics of SCD provide additional insights over and above the qualitative research and the Dependency Parsing. Among other things, the metrics suggest that the concept of the virtual particle became more stable after 1950 but at the same time also more polysemous.
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