February 2019 - philphysmunich

Conference Models of Consciousness, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford
by Johannes Kleiner Feb. 22, 2019

Feb. 22, 2019

Dear all, The scientific study of consciousness came to maturity in the 1990's as a response to seminal contributions to cognitive neuroscience, fundamental physics and analytic philosophy. It has become a major source of interest for researchers around the world and, as a field of study, has produced hundreds of papers in well-respected journals. In particular, the subject now generates sustained interest among mathematicians, physicists and other scholars who aim to translate the results of conceptual and empirical investigations into formal-mathematical models in order to derive insights that are otherwise not amenable to a less formal analysis. However, these researchers have pursued this work largely in isolation and outside of the academic mainstream. As such, we are organizing the conference "Models of Consciousness" at the Mathematical Institute of the University of Oxford from September 9-12, two which you are cordially invited. The specific goals of this conference are two-fold. First, the conference aims to explore foundational issues, such as the relation of consciousness to complexity, and, more generally, to uncover the underlying formal structures of existing theories of consciousness. This relies on establishing new formal frameworks in which one can pose these questions in a rigorous way and which allow novel comparisons and generalizations as well as the design of experimental tests of already existing models. For this to happen, relevant mathematical structures that could guide our thinking need to be identified and coherently combined. The conference will also encourage participants to explore questions in a way that is neutral with respect to philosophical presuppositions that have dominated much of the previous research programs. Second, given the highly interdisciplinary nature of the endeavor, we intend to create a platform for researchers from different fields to connect and to facilitate collaboration. It is a milestone of the project to create a network of researchers dedicated to the topic. This is essential for the long-term goal of higher visibility and acceptance of this exciting new field of research that pertains to the understanding of the fundamental nature of agency, intelligence and consciousness in relation to the physical world. The selection of confirmed speakers, include Roger Penrose, Peter Grindrod, Chetan Prakash, and Adrian Kent, among others. Apart from invited speakers we will have talks selected through a competitive application process as well as extended discussion sessions. All details can be found on the conference website: Models of Consciousness Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford September 9 - 12, 2019 https://models-of-consciousness.org/ With best wishes on behalf of all organizers, Johannes Kleiner Johannes Kleiner Institute for Theoretical Physics Leibniz University of Hannover johannes.kleiner(a)itp.uni-hannover.de jkleiner.de <https://jkleiner.de/>

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Erratum: CfA: "All Things Reichenbach" MCMP conference, 22-24 Jul 2019
by Erik Curiel Feb. 22, 2019

Feb. 22, 2019

[I apologize for the re-posting. The version sent out yesterday had an incorrect URL for the EasyChair submission website. This one contains the correct URL.] ********************************************* The Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy invites abstracts for the following event: All Things Reichenbach MCMP, LMU Munich 22-24 July, 2019 http://www.lmu.de/reichenbach2019 ********************************************* Hans Reichenbach (1891-1953), one of the founding fathers of Logical Empiricism, is among the most important philosophers of science of the Twentieth Century and without doubt one of the most prominent philosophers of physics of the first half of the past century. Many of his ideas still retain their interest in current philosophy of science, and his work continues to be influential, often in unnoticed but deep ways. This conference is dedicated to highlighting the importance of Reichenbach and his legacy, across all areas of his thought, specifically focusing on the issues raised within his work, and on the current debates surrounding them. *Call for abstracts* We invite the submission of extended abstracts for the conference. Submissions should include a title, a brief abstract (up to 200 words), and a full abstract (up to 1000 words), blinded for peer review. They should be PDF files, submitted by 06 April, 2019 to the conference's EasyChair account <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=atr2019>. We will select up to 6 submissions for presentation at the conference. We are committed to fostering diversity and equality in our programs. Submissions from underrepresented groups are particularly welcome. The conference will be organized and run under the MCMP's code of conduct <http://www.mcmp.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de/events/event-policy/index.html>. *Registration* Please send registration requests by 15 July 2019 to the co-chair Erik Curiel <Erik.Curiel(a)lrz.uni-muenchen.de>. The email should have the subject: "register Reichenbach conference" and should indicate whether you plan to attend the conference dinner (23 July, 2019). The conference dinner will cost EUR 35 (alcohol not included). *Dates and Deadlines* Deadlines for Submission: 06 April 2019 Date of Notification: 06 May 2019 Registration Deadline: 15 July 2019 *Organizers* * <http://www.mcmp.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de/people/faculty/curiel/index.html> Erik Curiel, MCMP/LMU Munich (co-chair) * <http://flaviapadovani.org> Flavia Padovani, Department of English & Philosophy, Drexel University (co-chair) *Acknowledgments* The conference is organized and supported by the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy (LMU Munich) <http://www.mcmp.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de/index.html>. The conference is partly funded by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and by support from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation <http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/start.html> and from the Lichtenberg Group for History and Philosophy of Physics at the University of Bonn <https://www.history-and-philosophy-of-physics.com/>. -- Erik Curiel http://strangebeautiful.com Assistant Professor Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy Lehrstuhl für Wissenschaftstheorie Fakultät für Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie und Religionswissenschaft Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Ludwigstraße 31 80539 München, Deutschland http://www.mcmp.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de BHI Research Fellow Black Hole Initiative Harvard University http://bhi.fas.harvard.edu Research Fellow Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Radio and Geoastronomy Division https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/rg -- Erik Curiel http://strangebeautiful.com Assistant Professor Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy Lehrstuhl für Wissenschaftstheorie Fakultät für Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie und Religionswissenschaft Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Ludwigstraße 31 80539 München, Deutschland http://www.mcmp.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de BHI Research Fellow Black Hole Initiative Harvard University http://bhi.fas.harvard.edu Research Fellow Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Radio and Geoastronomy Division https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/rg

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CfA: "All Things Reichenbach" MCMP conference, 22-24 Jul 2019
by Erik Curiel Feb. 21, 2019

Feb. 21, 2019

********************************************* The Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy invites abstracts for the following event: All Things Reichenbach MCMP, LMU Munich 22-24 July, 2019 http://www.lmu.de/reichenbach2019 ********************************************* Hans Reichenbach (1891-1953), one of the founding fathers of Logical Empiricism, is among the most important philosophers of science of the Twentieth Century and without doubt one of the most prominent philosophers of physics of the first half of the past century. Many of his ideas still retain their interest in current philosophy of science, and his work continues to be influential, often in unnoticed but deep ways. This conference is dedicated to highlighting the importance of Reichenbach and his legacy, across all areas of his thought, specifically focusing on the issues raised within his work, and on the current debates surrounding them. *Call for abstracts* We invite the submission of extended abstracts for the conference. Submissions should include a title, a brief abstract (up to 200 words), and a full abstract (up to 1000 words), blinded for peer review. They should be PDF files, submitted by 06 April, 2019 to the conference's EasyChair account <https://easychair.org/cfp/ATR2019>. We will select up to 6 submissions for presentation at the conference. We are committed to fostering diversity and equality in our programs. Submissions from underrepresented groups are particularly welcome. The conference will be organized and run under the MCMP's code of conduct <http://www.mcmp.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de/events/event-policy/index.html>. *Registration* Please send registration requests by 15 July 2019 to the co-chair Erik Curiel <Erik.Curiel(a)lrz.uni-muenchen.de>. The email should have the subject: "register Reichenbach conference" and should indicate whether you plan to attend the conference dinner (23 July, 2019). The conference dinner will cost EUR 35 (alcohol not included). *Dates and Deadlines* Deadlines for Submission: 06 April 2019 Date of Notification: 06 May 2019 Registration Deadline: 15 July 2019 *Organizers* * <http://www.mcmp.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de/people/faculty/curiel/index.html> Erik Curiel, MCMP/LMU Munich (co-chair) * <http://flaviapadovani.org> Flavia Padovani, Department of English & Philosophy, Drexel University (co-chair) *Acknowledgments* The conference is organized and supported by the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy (LMU Munich) <http://www.mcmp.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de/index.html>. The conference is partly funded by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and by support from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation <http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/start.html> and from the Lichtenberg Group for History and Philosophy of Physics at the University of Bonn <https://www.history-and-philosophy-of-physics.com/>. -- Erik Curiel http://strangebeautiful.com Assistant Professor Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy Lehrstuhl für Wissenschaftstheorie Fakultät für Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie und Religionswissenschaft Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Ludwigstraße 31 80539 München, Deutschland http://www.mcmp.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de BHI Research Fellow Black Hole Initiative Harvard University http://bhi.fas.harvard.edu Research Fellow Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Radio and Geoastronomy Division https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/rg -- Erik Curiel http://strangebeautiful.com Assistant Professor Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy Lehrstuhl für Wissenschaftstheorie Fakultät für Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie und Religionswissenschaft Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Ludwigstraße 31 80539 München, Deutschland http://www.mcmp.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de BHI Research Fellow Black Hole Initiative Harvard University http://bhi.fas.harvard.edu Research Fellow Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Radio and Geoastronomy Division https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/rg

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Workshop "Interpreting Quantum Mechanics: Old and New Philosophical Problems"
by Giovanni Valente Feb. 8, 2019

Feb. 8, 2019

Workshop: “Interpreting Quantum Mechanics: Old and New Philosophical Problems” Politecnico di Milano, Departments of Mathematics - March 11, 2019 Quantum Mechanics is our most successful theory to account for the microscopic world. Yet, it is still beset with outstanding interpretational questions that have intrigued physicists, mathematicians and philosophers for almost a century. The present workshop aims at exploring some of the major foundational problems that arose already in the early formulations of the theory and continue to plague our understanding of quantum probabilities. The invited speakers are Michael Cuffaro (Western Ontario\Munich\Vienna), Molly Kao (Montreal), Miklos Rédei (London\Munich) and Jos Uffink (Minnesota). For more information on the program visit http://www.meta.polimi.it/?page_id=263&lang=en

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Masterclass with Miklós Rédei, Feb 8
by Neil Dewar Feb. 4, 2019

Feb. 4, 2019

Dear all, On February 8 (next Friday), there will be a masterclass with Miklós Rédei (LSE) on “Topics in Foundations of Probability Theory”. The class will take place from 13:00 to 20:00, with breaks, and will cover the basic concepts of measure theoretic probability theory, conditionalisation, Bertrand’s paradox, and the Borel-Kolmogorov paradox. The venue for the class will be room 507 of Amalienstraße 52. All welcome. All the best Neil -- Neil Dewar Assistant Professor Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy Lehrstuhl für Wissenschaftstheorie Fakultät für Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie und Religionswissenschaft Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Ludwigstraße 31 80539 München, Deutschland neildewar.wordpress.com <http://neildewar.wordpress.com/>

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2nd CfP - Second Hermann Minkowski Meeting on the Foundations of Spacetime Physics
by Vesselin Petkov Feb. 1, 2019

Feb. 1, 2019

Second Hermann Minkowski Meeting on the Foundations of Spacetime Physics http://www.minkowskiinstitute.org/meetings/2019/ Contact: minkowski2019(a)minkowskiinstitute.org Date: May 13, 2019 - May 16, 2019 Location: Albena (near Varna), Bulgaria The Second Hermann Minkowski Meeting on the Foundations of Spacetime Physics will commemorate the 110th anniversary of the publication of Minkowski's lecture "Space and Time" in 1909, which presented the novel ideas of the four-dimensional physics of spacetime. In addition to technical papers on areas related to Minkowski's contributions to the foundations of spacetime physics and on modern ramifications of his ideas, contributions on closely related topics will be also welcome. In addition to talks and poster sessions, special (extra) tea / coffee hours will be included in the program to stimulate more informal discussions among the participants. For this reason we encourage interested colleagues to attend the meeting even if they do not plan to give a talk. Contributed papers in the form of extended abstracts from one to two standard pages should be emailed by Thursday, February 28, 2019 to minkowski2019(a)minkowskiinstitute.org. Submissions will be reviewed and notification of acceptance will be given by Friday, March 15, 2019. Scientific Organizing Committee: Abhay Ashtekar (Penn State University) Dennis Dieks (Utrecht University) George F. R. Ellis (University of Cape Town) Valeria Ferrari (University of Rome "La Sapienza") David Garfinkle (Okland University) Robert Geroch (University of Chicago) James Isenberg (University of Oregon) Claus Kiefer (University of Cologne) Vesselin Petkov (Minkowski Institute, Montreal) Carlo Rovelli (Centre de Physique Theorique de Luminy) Mairi Sakellariadou (King's College London, University of London) James Owen Weatherall (University of California, Irvine) Nick Woodhouse (University of Oxford, Clay Mathematics Institute) Christian Wüthrich (University of Geneva)

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