"Fundamental" "constants" and precision tests of the standard model

In this paper I provide an account of precision testing in particle physics that makes a virtue of theory-ladenness in experiment. Combining recent work on the philosophy of experimentation with a broader view of science as process allows one to understand that the most precise and secure knowledge produced in a mature science cannot be achieved in a theory-independent fashion. I discuss precision tests of the muon's magnetic moment, and the use of effective field theory to repurpose precision tests for exploratory purposes