January 2016 - philphysmunich

Talk by Farr at MCMP (Wed. 20th)
by Dardashti, Radin Feb. 1, 2016

Feb. 1, 2016

Speaker: Matt Farr (University of Queensland) Date: Wed., Jan. 20 Location: Ludwigstr. 31, ground floor, room 021 Time: 16:15 -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 17:45 Title: Causation and Time Reversal Abstract: What would it be for a process to happen ‘backwards’ in time? Would such a process involve different causal relations? On a standard interpretation of time reversal, time reversal symmetric theories radically underdetermine causal relations between events. This has led many to imply that time reversal symmetry motivates eliminativism about causation. This paper assesses the compatibility of time reversal symmetry with causation by asking whether causal relations ought to invert under the action of time reversal or remain invariant. I show that in neither case is there an incompatibility between time reversal symmetry and causation and hence time reversal symmetric theories pose no special problem for causality. I argue for a ‘non-causal’ interpretation of time reversal, whereby time reversal does not invert causal relations, and assess the consequences of this interpretation for the epistemology and metaphysics of causation.

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Geneva: Postdoc in Philosophy of Quantum Gravity
by Christian Wuthrich Jan. 20, 2016

Jan. 20, 2016

Call for Applications: POSTDOC POSITION in PHILOSOPHY OF QUANTUM GRAVITY University of Geneva The philosophy of physics group at the Department of Philosophy in Geneva solicits applications for a two-year postdoctoral research position, starting 1 September 2016 or as soon as possible thereafter. A start after 1 September 2016 would shorten the postdoc to less than two years; an earlier start may be possible. The position is funded by the John Templeton Foundation grant 'Space and Time after Quantum Gravity'. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the project's research by pursuing their own research in the philosophy of quantum gravity and by collaborating on existing research efforts within the Geneva group led by Professor Christian Wuthrich. They will be expected to participate in weekly project meetings during term, help with the administration and organization of the group's activities, and contribute to the group's outreach efforts. The successful candidate will be invited to contribute to the project's summer school to take place in Wisconsin, 19-24 June 2016. Fluency in English is required. More information on the project and the research group is available at http://beyondspacetime.net/. Applicants with experience in either the philosophy or the foundations of quantum gravity broadly construed will be preferred, but we will also consider applicants with backgrounds in other areas of philosophy of physics, foundational research in physics, or metaphysics. All work toward the Ph.D. must be completed before the starting date. Candidates who defended their Ph.D. recently will be preferred. The position is fixed-term for two years. The annual salary is expected to be around CHF 61,000. Research funds for travel to relevant conferences and to the group at the University of Illinois at Chicago will be provided. Applications must contain a cover letter detailing the pertinent experience for the position, a CV, a one-page research statement describing the work to be accomplished during the postdoc including publication plans, one or two writing samples, and three letters of reference. The letters of reference must be sent under separate cover. All materials should be sent to Professor Christian Wuthrich at christian.wuthrich(a)unige.ch. Review of the files will begin on 29 February 2016 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 Wuthrich. The competition for this position opens on 18 January and closes on 31 March 2016. Applications from women and underrepresented minorities are encouraged. For more information, please contact Professor Christian Wuthrich at christian.wuthrich(a)unige.ch.

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Reading group on Haag's Theorem: 18.00 (ST), Tues 26th Jan in R131, Ludwigstr. 31
by Adam Caulton Jan. 19, 2016

Jan. 19, 2016

Dear all (with apologies for cross-posting), We are continuing the philosophy of physics reading group in 2016 with a discussion of Haag’s Theorem in quantum field theory. In particular, we will be discussing Ed Seidewitz’s recent (and so far unchecked!) paper, in which he claims to have found a natural way to avoid Haag’s Theorem by introducing an external parameter to the quantum field. The paper is available at: http://arxiv.org/abs/1501.05658 I will briefly introduce the topic and the paper. We will meet in my office (room R131 in Ludwigstr. 31) at 18.00 ST on Tuesday 26th January. Very best, Adam

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CFA: Summer School in Philosophy of Quantum Gravity
by Christian Wuthrich Jan. 18, 2016

Jan. 18, 2016

Call for Applications: International Summer School in Philosophy of Physics on the PHILOSOPHY OF QUANTUM GRAVITY Hosted by the University of Geneva and the University of Illinois at Chicago Space and Time After Quantum Gravity project Williams Bay, Wisconsin, USA June 19-24, 2016 Further information, when available, at http://beyondspacetime.net/2016summerschool/. Quantum theories of gravity, as diverse and incomplete as they may be, promise to revolutionize our conception of the fundamental structure of reality. For instance, the world we inhabit may be non-spatiotemporal at the ground level. The philosophical implications of quantum gravity may thus be far-reaching, but what exactly are these implications and how will they affect our philosophical conceptions? Conversely, the formulation of a quantum theory of gravity forces the theorists to address foundational, indeed philosophical questions, for their theory-building. Such questions include the metaphysical implications of quantum gravity, or the nature of phenomenological spacetime in string theory. These are just some of the questions that we will discuss in this Summer School, which addresses graduate students and postdocs from philosophy of physics and related fields. Faculty (we expect to announce more): • Gordon Belot (Michigan) • Nick Huggett (Illinois at Chicago) • Jenann Ismael (Arizona) • Keizo Matsubara • Amanda Peet (Toronto) • Carlo Rovelli (Marseille) • Christian Wuthrich (Geneva) Organizing Committee: Nick Huggett Christian Wuthrich Keizo Matsubara The intended audience for the Summer School are Masters students, PhD students, and postdocs working or planning to work in the intersection between physics and philosophy. We will also consider applications from philosophers and physicists wishing to expand their existing research interests to include the philosophical implications of quantum gravity. We will furthermore consider applications from members of the general public who can demonstrate an acquaintance with the subject equivalent to the Master’s level. To apply for the Summer School, candidates should submit: • A cover letter of no more than one page describing your current research interest and its relevance to the topic of the Summer School; please explain as specifically as possible how the summer school will benefit your research plans. • A current CV. • A short letter from your advisor or other person knowledgeable of your work, expressing your suitability. • Optional: participants wishing to present their own work need to submit a title and a 500-word abstract. If accepted, they will get the opportunity to present their work. Please combine all your documents into one PDF file and upload it to http://https://easychair. org/conferences/?conf=isspqg2016 by March 16, 2016. Decisions will be made by early April. The Organizing Committee will select the admitted participants based on the academic strength of their file and the pertinence of their interests; in other words, we will consider how much the candidate is likely to benefit from attending the Summer School and how much the Summer School would likely benefit from the attendance of the candidate and try to maximize the sum of the benefits. The Summer School is generously supported by the John Templeton Foundation and will thus be free of charge for accepted participants, including room and board. Participants are responsible for their travel to and from the site of the Summer School, and for incidentals such as beverages.

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Rafaela Hillerbrand on Climate Science
by Wolfgang Pietsch Jan. 18, 2016

Jan. 18, 2016

Dear all, You are cordially invited to a talk tomorrow evening by Prof. Dr. Dr. Rafaela Hillerbrand ITAS, Karlsruhe Unscientific because it is uncertain? Scientific because it is uncertain! A philosophical perspective on climate models Tuesday, 19. January 2016, 18:15 The talk takes place in room 1.221, Arcisstraße 21 (Stammgelände TU München) Further information: <https://www.cvl-a.mcts.tum.de/oeffentliche-vorlesungen/frontiers-of-science -technology-and-philosophy/> https://www.cvl-a.mcts.tum.de/oeffentliche-vorlesungen/frontiers-of-science- technology-and-philosophy/ Best wishes, Wolfgang Pietsch -------------- Dr. Wolfgang Pietsch Lehrstuhl für Philosophie und Wissenschaftstheorie Munich Center for Technology in Society Technische Universität München Arcisstr. 21 D-80333 München, Germany Tel.: +49 (0)89 . 289 25366

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"Rethinking Foundations of Physics" & "Causal Fermion Systems"
by Wolfgang Pietsch Jan. 13, 2016

Jan. 13, 2016

Auf Bitte von Johannes Kleiner [mailto:johannes.kleiner@mathematik.uni-regensburg.de] leite ich gerne folgende Ankündigung weiter: - - - We would like to let you know about two upcoming events, both of which might be interesting for you, PhD students of yours or young colleagues of yours: The workshop Rethinking Foundations of Physics and the summer school Causal Fermion Systems. Both take place in March 2016, the deadline for the first, unfortunately, already ends this week. Information can be found on the websites <http://rethinking-workshop.org/> http://rethinking-workshop.org/ and <http://cfs-school.uni-regensburg.de/> http://cfs-school.uni-regensburg.de/ . We would be very grateful if you could forward this information to potentially interested PhD students and postdocs. Best regards, Johannes Kleiner, Robin Lorenz, Franz Gmeineder, Jan-Hendrik Treude -------------- Dr. Wolfgang Pietsch Lehrstuhl für Philosophie und Wissenschaftstheorie Munich Center for Technology in Society Technische Universität München Arcisstr. 21 D-80333 München, Germany Tel.: +49 (0)89 . 289 25366

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