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Why trust a theory (LMU Munich, 7-9 December 2015)
by Karim Thébault July 2, 2015

July 2, 2015

********************************************* WHY TRUST A THEORY? RECONSIDERING SCIENTIFIC METHODOLOGY IN LIGHT OF MODERN PHYSICS LMU Munich 7-9 December 2015 www.lmu.de/whytrustatheory2015 ********************************************* Fundamental physics today faces increasing difficulties to find conclusive empirical confirmation of its theories. Some empirically unconfirmed or inconclusively confirmed theories in the field have nevertheless attained a high degree of trust among their exponents and are de facto treated as well established theories. This situation raises a number of questions that are of substantial importance for the future development of fundamental physics. Can a high degree of trust in an empirically unconfirmed or inconclusively confirmed theory be scientifically justified? Does the extent to which empirically unconfirmed theories are trusted today constitute a substantial change of the character of scientific reasoning? Might some important theories of contemporary fundamental physics be empirically untestable in principle? The workshop will be centred around an in-depth discussion of these and other related questions, with a particular focus on the methodological and philosophical aspects. As such, it will be an interdisciplinary event, involving physicists and philosophers of science. It will bring together main exponents of important theories in fundamental physics, physicists who have expressed criticism of the current strategies of theory assessment in fundamental physics and philosophers who have thought about those issues. INVITED SPEAKERS: Peter Achinstein (Johns Hopkins University) Matthias Bartelmann (University of Heidelberg) Radin Dardashti (LMU Munich) Richard Dawid (LMU Munich) Gia Dvali (LMU Munich) George Ellis (University of Cape Town) David Gross (UC Santa Barbara and Kavli Institute) Sabine Hossenfelder (NORDITA, Stockholm) Nick Huggett (University of Illinois at Chicago) Gordon Kane (University of Michigan) Viatcheslav Mukhanov (LMU Munich) Massimo Pigliucci (CUNY, New York) Joseph Polchinski (UC Santa Barbara and Kvali Institute) Carlo Rovelli (University of Aix Marseilles) Joseph Silk (Johns Hopkins Univ. & Universite Pierre et Marie Curie) Chris Smeenk (Western University) Karim Thébault (LMU Munich) Chris Wüthrich (University of Geneva)

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Fwd: [Mpqth-announce] Talk by Jordi Tura this Thursday at 16:00
by Michael Cuffaro June 16, 2015

June 16, 2015

Dear all, this may be of interest to some of you (though unfortunately I cannot attend myself): -------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: [Mpqth-announce] Talk by Jordi Tura this Thursday at 16:00 Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2015 14:08:49 +0200 From: Gemma De las Cuevas <Gemma.DelasCuevas(a)mpq.mpg.de> To: mpqth-announce(a)mpq.mpg.de Dear all, Our guest Jordi Tura (from ICFO, close to Barcelona) will give a talk this Thursday 18.6. at 16:00 in our seminar room about Bell's nonlocality in many-body 1-D systems. Abstract: It has been recently shown that Bell's nonlocality can be revealed in many-body systems which are permutationally invariant by only measuring two-body correlations. Also, for translationally invariant systems with a small (n<6) number of particles, this has been shown to be the case. In this talk, I will discuss how one can study 1-D systems with a large number of parties efficiently. I will start by introducing the technique of dynamic programming, that allows to efficiently calculate the classical limit of any Bell inequality for 1-D systems. Then I will focus on giving a lower bound on the quantum limit of such an inequality, by doing appropriate measurements, such that the resulting Bell operator can be mapped to a system of free fermions. Finally, I will focus on the translationally invariant case, where analytically closed expressions can be given. This will replace our quantum coffee. Everybody is welcome! Best, Gemma _______________________________________________ Mpqth-announce mailing list Mpqth-announce(a)mpq.mpg.de http://post.rzg.mpg.de/mailman/listinfo/mpqth-announce

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Talk by Miklós Rédei (LSE) at MCMP today
by Dardashti, Radin June 15, 2015

June 15, 2015

Speaker: Miklós Rédei (LSE) Date: Mon., June 15 Location: Ludwigstr. 31, ground floor, room 021 Time: 18:15 -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 19:45 Title: Quantum probability theory Abstract: The seminar presents quantum theory as non-commutative probability theory, and the theory of von Neumann algebras as the non-commutative measure theory that serves as the general framework for quantum probability theory -- very much like classical measure theory is the framework for classical probability theory. The main results of the Murray-von Neumann classification theory of types of von Neumann algebras is recalled and the different types of von Neumann algebras are portrayed as yielding all the types of quantum probability spaces that are needed to model quantum systems. After pointing out the structural similarities of classical and quantum probability theory it is shown that a straightforward frequency interpretation of quantum probability theory is not possible. The seminar states the so-called "Kolmogorovian Censorship Hypothesis", which attempts to secure a frequency interpretation of quantum probability by interpreting quantum probabilities as classical conditional probabilities. The unattractive features of the Kolmogorovian Censorship Hypothesis are analyzed. The seminar is based on : M. Redei: "Kolmogorovian Censorship Hypothesis for general quantum probability theories" Manuscrito – Revista Internacional de Filosofia 33 (2010) 365-380

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Talks by Peter Pickl and Robert Rynasiewicz at the MCMP (Wed. 10th)
by Dardashti, Radin June 8, 2015

June 8, 2015

Speaker: Peter Pickl (LMU) Date: Wed., June 10 Location: Ludwigstr. 31, ground floor, room 021 Time: 16:15 -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 17:45 Title: Explaining Macroscopic Systems from Microscopic Principles Abstract: The revolutionary idea of the late 19th century that the physics of gases can be explained by the dynamics of small, point-like particles had a great influence on physics as well as mathematics and philosophy. This idea has changed our understanding of the physics of macroscopic systems significantly as well as the way we see our universe as a whole. The question of how the connection between the microscopic and the macroscopic world can be explained also arises in other fields, for example the life sciences. Answering this question might have a similar impact on the research in these fields. In the talk I will present recent techniques and results of our research group in deriving macroscopic evolution equations from microscopic principles for certain classical, quantum mechanical and biological systems. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Speaker: Robert Rynasiewicz (Johns Hopkins) Date: Wed., June 10 Location: Ludwigstr. 31, ground floor, room 021 Time: 18:15 -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 19:45 Title: On The Role Of The Light Postulate In Relativity Abstract: As presented by Einstein in 1905, the theory of special relativity follows from two postulates: first, what he called the principle of relativity, and second, an empirical fact about the relation of the propagation of light relative to its source that has come to be called the light postulate. In 1910 Waldemar von Ignatowsky claimed to be able to derive the Lorentz transformations, and hence special relativity, without the light postulate using only the principle of relativity and assumptions that Einstein seems to have implicitly made, such as linearity and the isotropy and homogeneity of space. In his authoritative Relativitätstheorie of 1921, Pauli dismissed Ignatowsky’s result without explanation as void of physical significance. More recently, respected physicists and foundationalists, such as David Mermin (1984), have defended Ignatowsky and claimed that special relativity pre- supposes nothing about electromagnetism. In the first part of this talk, I discuss just what the light postulate asserts (both in special and in general relativity). In the second, I hope to shed light on the debate, if not definitively settle it. (To say on which side would spoil the suspense.) I will also discuss related attempts to dismiss the conventionality of simultaneity.

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Fwd: [Mpqth-announce] LMU (Schelling) - Mon 8 June - talk: "The physics of information: from Maxwell's demon to Landauer"
by Michael Cuffaro June 3, 2015

June 3, 2015

-------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: [Mpqth-announce] LMU (Schelling) - Mon 8 June - talk: "The physics of information: from Maxwell's demon to Landauer" Date: Wed, 03 Jun 2015 17:57:08 +0200 From: Andrea Kluth <andrea.kluth(a)mpq.mpg.de> To: mpqth-announce(a)mpq.mpg.de MÜNCHNER PHYSIK-KOLLOQUIUM Lecture Hall H030, Fakultät für Physik der LMU, Schellingstr. 4, München. Am 8. Juni 2015, 17:15 Uhr Prof. Dr. Eric Lutz, Department für Physik, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, "The physics of information: from Maxwell's demon to Landauer" We will discuss the intimate connection existing between information theory and thermodynamics following its historical development. We will focus on two complementary aspects: 1) the gain of information which we will illustrate with Maxwells famous demon and 2) the erasure of information summarized by Landauers principle. We will further present a number of recent single-particle experiments that have for the rst time realized the above gedanken experiments in the lab. -------- Weitergeleitete Nachricht -------- Betreff: Münchner Physik Kolloquium / Vortrag Prof. Dr. Eric Lutz Datum: Wed, 3 Jun 2015 07:23:06 +0000 Von: Ortner, Sonja <ortner(a)tum.de> An: Alle Mitarbeiter von TUPH [TUPHFPH] <mitarbeiter(a)ph.tum.de> Kopie (CC): Zacharias, Martin <martin.zacharias(a)mytum.de>, Finley, Jonathan <finley(a)mytum.de>, lode.pollet(a)physik.uni-muenchen.de <lode.pollet(a)physik.uni-muenchen.de>, jochen.weller(a)usm.uni-muenchen.de <jochen.weller(a)usm.uni-muenchen.de>, Petra Douglas <petra.douglas(a)ipp.mpg.de> Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, anbei die Ankündigung des Vortrages von *Prof. Dr. Eric Lutz* Department für Physik, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, // über das Thema *"The physics of information: from Maxwell's demon to Landauer''* am Montag, den 8. Juni 2015, 17:15 Uhr im Hörsaal H 030 der Fakultät für Physik der LMU, Schellingstr. 4, München. Über Ihre Teilnahme würden wir uns freuen. Mit freundlichen Grüßen, i.A. der TUM-Koordinatoren Prof. J. Finley, Prof. M. Zacharias -------------------------------------- Sonja Ortner Sekretariat Prof. Dr. Martin Zacharias Physik-Department T38, Raum 2075 Technische Universität München James Franck Str. 1 85748 Garching Tel: +49-(0)89-289-12393 Fax. +49-(0)89-289-12444 e-mail: ortner(a)tum.de <mailto:ortner@tum.de> http://www.t38.physik.tu-muenchen.de/

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tomorrow, Jacob Rosenthal at TUM
by Wolfgang Pietsch June 1, 2015

June 1, 2015

Speaker: Jacob Rosenthal (Konstanz) Date: Tuesday, June 2 Location: TU München, Arcisstr. 21, room 1221 http://www.cvl-a.mcts.tum.de/fileadmin/w00bsu/www/content_uploads/wegbeschre ibung_cvla_seminarraum1221.pdf Time: 18:15 - 19:45 Title: Three Concepts of Objective Probability The talk will be in English. Please forward to anyone interested. Best wishes, Wolfgang -------------- 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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Talk by Michael Cuffaro and Gábor Hofer-Szabó at the MCMP (Thu 28th)
by Dardashti, Radin May 25, 2015

May 25, 2015

Speaker: Michael Cuffaro (MCMP) Date: Thu., May 28 Location: Ludwigstr. 31, ground floor, room 021 Time: 12:15 -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 13:45 Title: How Do Quantum Systems Evolve? Abstract: There are excellent physical reasons for believing that quantum systems evolve `completely positively' through time (i.e. that their dynamical evolution can be described exclusively using CP `maps'). Despite these reasons, there has nevertheless been a long-standing and sometimes passionate debate between physicists over whether some evolutions require that they be described using /not/ completely positive (NCP) maps. In my talk I will attempt to diffuse this debate by arguing that we should side with the minority opinion, but with a qualification: NCP maps should be understood, not as reflecting `not completely positive' evolution, but rather as /partially defined/ CP maps, and that the debate over the properties one should ascribe to the /extension/ of such a partially-defined map is akin to a debate over the properties one should ascribe to a phantom. I close by speculating on some of the implications of incorporating such `NCP' maps into a quantum dynamical framework. *Note: although this talk will be on a specialised topic, every effort will be made to motivate it for and make it accessible to a non-specialist audience.* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Speaker: Gábor Hofer-Szabó (Hungarian Academy of Sciences) Date: Thu., May 28 Location: Ludwigstr. 31, ground floor, room 021 Time: 16:15 -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 17:45 Title: On Einstein's Reality Criterion Abstract: In the talk we characterize the different interpretations of QM in an operationalist-frequentist framework and show what entities the different interpretations posit. We define completeness and correctness of an interpretation in terms of how this posited ontology relates to the "real world ontology" posited by principles independent of the interpretations. We argue that the Reality Criterion is just such a principle. We also argue that the EPR argument, making use of the Reality Criterion, is devised to show that certain interpretations of QM are incomplete, whereas Einstein's latter arguments, making no use of the Reality Criterion, are devised to show that the Copenhagen interpretation is simply wrong. Next, investigating the nature of prediction, an essential part of the Reality Criterion, we formulate two hypothesis: (i) the Reality Criterion is a special case of Reichenbach's Common Cause Principle; (ii) it is a special case of Bell's Local Causality Principle.

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Talk by Casey McCoy at MCMP (Wed 20th)
by Dardashti, Radin May 18, 2015

May 18, 2015

Speaker: Casey McCoy (UCSD) Date: Wed., May 20 Location: Ludwigstr. 31, ground floor, room 021 Time: 16:15 -⁠⁠⁠⁠ 17:45 Title: Cosmological Probabilities: General Relativity and Statistical Mechanics Writ Large Abstract: Physicists and philosophers have occasionally advanced arguments concerning the probabilities of possible universes, based on, for example, the so-called Past Hypothesis and GHS measure from cosmology. Although it may seem dubious to treat the entire universe as a random event, one might suppose that these arguments may be justified by extrapolating successful applications of probability in physics, such as statistical mechanics, to the universe. I argue that these justifications, when based on statistical mechanical probabilities, fail to be adequate.

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Andreas Hüttemann at TUM
by Wolfgang Pietsch May 11, 2015

May 11, 2015

Speaker: Andreas Hüttemann (Cologne) Date: Tuesday, May 12 Location: TU München, Arcisstr. 21, room 1221 http://www.cvl-a.mcts.tum.de/fileadmin/w00bsu/www/content_uploads/wegbeschre ibung_cvla_seminarraum1221.pdf Time: 18:15 - 19:45 Title: Die Störungstheorie der Kausalität Best wishes, Wolfgang -------------- 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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Talk by Miklos Redei at the MCMP (May 13)
by Dardashti, Radin May 11, 2015

May 11, 2015

Speaker: Miklos Redei (London School of Economics) Date: Wed., May 13 Location: Ludwigstr. 31, ground floor, room 021 Time: 18:15 -⁠⁠⁠ 19:45 Title: A categorial approach to relativistic locality Abstract: In the talk relativistic locality of a probabilistic physical theory is interpreted as an interconnected web of properties which express compatibility of the theory with the underlying causal structure of spacetime. Four components of this web are distinguished: spatiotemporal locality, causal locality-Independence, causal locality-Dependence, and causal locality-Dynamic. These four conditions will be specified in terms of concepts from the categorical approach to quantum field theory and results are recalled indicating the extent to which an algebraic quantum field theory satisfying the Haag–Kastler axioms is causally local. The talk is based on the paper: A categorial approach to relativistic locality" Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 48 (2014) 137-146

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