A self‑referential loop in science where scientific methods are applied to science itself—e.g., using psychology to study scientists, using sociology to study scientific communities, or using philosophy to examine the foundations of science. Scientific recursion can produce valuable meta‑insights (as in metascience) or can become a regress where each new discipline claims authority over the previous one, creating infinite layers without settling foundational questions.
Example: “The physicist dismissed the philosopher’s critique, saying only science can judge science. The philosopher replied: then what judges that claim? Scientific recursion: the endless layering of meta‑disciplines.”
by Dumu The Void March 25, 2026
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