August 2015 - philphysmunich

New email distribution list for the philosophy of quantum gravity
by Christian Wuthrich Aug. 17, 2015

Aug. 17, 2015

There is now a new email distribution list to share information about events and opportunities concerning the philosophy of quantum gravity, broadly construed. Anyone can become a subscriber, and any subscriber can send a message to the list. Posts that are off topic will be deleted, however, and their senders blocked. Drive responsibly! To subscribe, go to https://listes.unige.ch/sympa/info/beyondspacetime.

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CFP: Essay Prize on 'Space and Time After Quantum Gravity'
by Christian Wuthrich Aug. 12, 2015

Aug. 12, 2015

Call for Papers: Prize competition for essays on SPACE AND TIME AFTER QUANTUM GRAVITY Run by the University of Geneva-University of Illinois at Chicago 'Space and Time After Quantum Gravity’ project http://beyondspacetime.net/ The investigation of quantum gravity has been central to theoretical physics for at least two decades, but philosophy has only begun to systematically engage with this field in the past few years. The purpose of this competition is to promote new work in the field, and especially engage directly with philosophy and philosophers thus-far outside of quantum gravity. We solicit technically and philosophically informed papers on any topic in the philosophical foundations of quantum gravity. We are particularly (but not exclusively) interested in work that addresses the foci of the 'Space and Time After Quantum Gravity' project: Does quantum gravity eliminate spacetime as fundamental structure? How does quantum gravity explain the appearance of spacetime? What are the broader implications of quantum gravity for metaphysical (and other) accounts of the world? We anticipate awarding up to three prizes, of $1000 each. Winners must agree to visit one of the project centers, either in Chicago or Geneva (travel expenses of up to $500 will be provided) to present their work. Moreover, winning papers are to be published in one of two volumes produced by the project: the first containing more technical papers for specialists and physicists, the second aimed for a more general philosophical audience. Papers of both kinds are encouraged. Papers should be anonymized for blind refereeing. Papers under 9,000 words will be preferred. ABD graduate students or recent PhDs are particularly invited to submit abstracts, as are women and underrepresented minorities. Deadline: November 30, 2015 (decisions by February 14, 2016) Papers (and all correspondence) should be sent to beyondspacetimeseminar(a)gmail.com. The Organizing Committee will select the successful submissions among all abstracts within the purview of the conference based on expert refereeing by the Review Committee. Organizing Committee: Nick Huggett Keizo Matsubara Christian Wuthrich This competition is funded by the John Templeton Foundation.

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Call for Applications: JUNIOR FELLOWSHIP in PHILOSOPHY OF QUANTUM GRAVITY, Geneva
by Christian Wuthrich Aug. 7, 2015

Aug. 7, 2015

Call for Applications: JUNIOR FELLOWSHIP in PHILOSOPHY OF QUANTUM GRAVITY University of Geneva The philosophy of physics group at the Department of Philosophy in Geneva solicits applications for a one-year junior visiting fellowship for advanced PhD students, starting Fall 2015 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is funded by the John Templeton Foundation grant 'Space and Time after Quantum Gravity'. Candidates must be ABD in a PhD program at an accredited university, working on a dissertation in the philosophy of quantum gravity, broadly construed. The fellowship will provide support for the successful candidate to spend a year away from their home institution to work with the project's Geneva group led by Professor Christian Wüthrich, and to benefit from interactions with project members and from participation in the project's activities. The successful candidate will participate in a tutoring program directed by Professor Wüthrich. They will be expected to participate in weekly group meetings during term, help with the administration and organization of the group's activities, and contribute to the group’s research and outreach efforts. Fluency in English is required. More information on the project and the research group is available at http://beyondspacetime.net/. The fellowship is fixed-term for one year, although we will consider applications for a six-month period. The salary will depend on the candidate's prior experience, but is expected to be around CHF 51,000. Research funds will be available for travel to relevant conferences and to visit the project's other group at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The successful candidate will remain a student at their home institution, and will not be admitted into any degree program at Geneva. The fellowship will not cover any costs (such as tuition and fees) at the home institution. Applications must contain a cover letter detailing the pertinent experience and motivation for the position, a CV, a 1-2 page description of the dissertation project, one writing sample, and two letters of reference (sent under separate cover). They should be sent to Professor Christian Wüthrich at christian.wuthrich(a)unige.ch. Review of the files will begin on September 14, 2015 and continue until the position is filled. Candidates files will be reviewed by qualified members of the Scientific Advisory Committee, and the best qualified candidate will be selected by Professors Huggett and Wüthrich. Applications from women and underrepresented minorities are encouraged. For more information, please contact Professor Christian Wüthrich at christian.wuthrich(a)unige.ch.

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