Schedule HPS 2626 Topics in Recent Philosophy of Physics

1

Aug 29

Introduction

Norton

The Three Principal Problems of Philosophy of Modern Physics

Norton

2

Sep 5

Entropy and Information: Basic Readings

Leo Szilard (1929) "On the Decrease of Entropy in a Thermodynamic System by the Intervention of Intelligent Beings," Translation of Zeitschrift fur Physik 53: 840–856.

Landauer, R., 1961, “Irreversibility and heat generation in the computing process”, IBM Journal of Research and Development, 5: 183–191.

Bennett, C.H., 1982, “The thermodynamics of computation—a review”, International Journal of Theoretical Physics, 21(12): 905–940.

Background reading: Wayne C. Myrvold, (2011) "Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics: A Maxwellian View."
Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 42, Issue 4, November 2011, pp 237–243.
[Preprint] http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/8638/

I

Norton
Powerpoint

3

Sep 12

Entropy and Information: A Skeptical Critique

John D. Norton, "All Shook Up: Fluctuations, Maxwell's Demon and the Thermodynamics of Computation," Prepared for the journal, Entropy.

John D. Norton, "Brownian Computation is Thermodynamically Irreversible."

Background:
Smoluchowski, Marian von (1912). “Experimentell nachweisbare, der üblichen Thermodynamik widersprechende Molekularphänomene,” Physikalische Zeitschrift, 13, pp.1069-1080.

More, including Powerpoints:
Rotman Institute of Philosophy Summer School Foundations of Statistical Mechanics
John D. Norton, "When a Good Theory Meets a Bad Idealization: The Failure of the Thermodynamics of Computation." Goodies.

II

Norton
Powerpoint 1
Powerpoint 2

4

Sep 19

Time in Quantum theory

Jan Hilgevoord "Time in Quantum Mechanics: A History of Confusion,” Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 36 (2005), pp.29–60.

P. Busch, “The Time-Energy Uncertainty Relation,” http://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0105049 Read 3.1-3.2 and 3.5 - 3.6.1.

Tom Pashby, "Time and Quantum Theory: A History and A Prospectus."

III

Tom Pashby

5

Sep 26

Well-Posed Theories

John D. Norton, "The Dome: An Unexpectedly Simple Failure of Determinism" Philosophy of Science, 75, No. 5, (2008). pp. 786-98

or the short version in
John D. Norton, “The Dome: A Simple Violation of Determinism in Newtonian Mechanics,” In Goodies.
Also the appendix to "Approximation and Idealization" for the case of systems with infinitely many degrees of freedom.

IV

Norton (30 min)
Powerpoint

Balazs Gyenis, " "Determinism, physical possibility, and laws of nature"," manuscript.

Balazs Gyenis

6

Oct 3

Curie's Principle

Pierre Curie (1894) "On symmetry in physical phenomena, symmetry of an electric field and of a magnetic field"

V

Tyler Ahlstrom (15 min)

Jenan Ismael (1997), "Curie's Principle," Synthese 110, pp.167–190.

George Borg (30 min)

Roberts, Bryan W. (2012) The simple failure of Curie's Principle. [Preprint] http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/9862/

Michael Miller (45 min)

Background: A. F. Chalmers (1970), "Curie's Principle," British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 21, pp.133-48.

7

Oct 10

Reality of the Quantum State

Framework for PBR defined in:
Nicholas Harrigan, Robert W. Spekkens, "Einstein, incompleteness, and the epistemic view of quantum states," http://arxiv.org/abs/0706.2661v1

Norton (45 min)
notes

Matthew F. Pusey, Jonathan Barrett, Terry Rudolph, “On the reality of the quantum state,” http://arxiv.org/abs/1111.3328

George Borg (45 min)

Further reading:

Matt Leifer, “Can the Quantum State be Interpreted Statistically.” Blog at http://mattleifer.info/2011/11/20/can-the-quantum-state-be-interpreted-statistically/

Maximilian Schlosshauer and Arthur Fine, “Is the Pusey–Barrett–Rudolph Theorem Compatible with Quantum Nonseparability?” http://arxiv.org/abs/1306.5805

8

Oct 17

Discovery Exercise presentations

All

9

Oct 24

A primer in modern cosmology.

Andrew R Liddle, "An introduction to cosmological inflation" http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9901124

Scott Watson, "An Exposition on Inflationary Cosmology" http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0005003

Norton
Cosmology 001
inflation
de Sitter spacetime

The observed history of the universe

Nora Boyd (10 min)

Background
G. F. R. Ellis, "On the Philosophy of Cosmology," Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 2013
J.-Ch. Hamilton "What have we learned from observational cosmology" http://arxiv.org/pdf/1304.4446.pdf

10

Oct 31

Observational Cosmology and Dark Matter/Energy

Andreas Albrecht et al. Report of the Dark Energy Task Force. 2006. http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0609591

Sections I-IV. Summary and recommendations

Tyler Ahlstrom(30 min)

Sections VI-VII. Dark Energy Primer, DETF Model

Mike Miller (30 min)

Section VIII. Staging Stage IV

George Borg (30 min)

Sections IX-X Performance Projections, Dark Energy Projects

Nora Boyd (30 min)

11

Nov 7

Quintessence

M. Barnard, A. Abrahamse, A. Albrecht B. Bozek, M. Yashar "Exploring Parameter Constraints on Quintessential Dark Energy: The Albrecht-Skordis Model" arXiv:0712.2875, Phys. Rev. D 77, 103502 (2008)

M. Barnard, A. Abrahamse, A. Albrecht B. Bozek, M. Yashar "A measure of the impact of future dark energy experiments based on discriminating power among quintessence models" arXiv:0804.0413 Phys.Rev.D78:043528 (2008).

VI

Nora Boyd

Friday Nov 15

Special meeting with Andreas Albrecht. 9:30am. G28CL.

13

Nov 21

Epistemic Access to Other Worlds? The Inductive Problem

Eric Hatleback, "Cosmological Induction: A Familiar Philosophical Foe."

Eric Hatleback

Probability Across Worlds

Gibbons, G. W.; Hawkings, S. W. and Stewart, J. M. 1987. “A Natural Measure on the Set of All Universes.” Nuclear Physics B281: 736-51.

Gibbons, G. W. and Turok, Neil. 2008) “Measure Problem in Cosmology,” Physical Review, D77, pp. 063516-1-12.

Hawking, S. W. and Page, Don N. 1988 “How Probable is Inflation?” Nuclear Physics B298: 789-809.

Mike Miller

14

Dec 5

Probabilities in Statistical Mechanics

Roman Frigg, 'Probability in Boltzmannian Statistical Mechanics', in Gerhard Ernst and Andreas Hüttemann (eds.): Time, Chance and Reduction. Philosophical Aspects of Statistical Mechanics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010, 92-118. http://www.romanfrigg.org/writings/Probability_in_Boltzmannian_SM.pdf

Tyler Ahlstrom (30 min)

Myrvold, Wayne C. (2012) “Probabilities in Statistical Mechanics: What are they?” http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/9236/

Norton (briefly)

Background
Roman Frigg, ‘What is Statistical Mechanics?', forthcoming in Carlos Galles, Pablo Lorenzano, Eduardo Ortiz, and Hans-Jörg Rheinberger (eds.): History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems Volume 4, Isle of Man: Eolss. http://www.romanfrigg.org/writings/What_is_SM.pdf

General discussion

All

Week	Date	Subject	Warm up	Presenter
1	Aug 29	Introduction		Norton
		The Three Principal Problems of Philosophy of Modern Physics		Norton
2	Sep 5	Entropy and Information: Basic Readings Leo Szilard (1929) "On the Decrease of Entropy in a Thermodynamic System by the Intervention of Intelligent Beings," Translation of Zeitschrift fur Physik 53: 840–856. Landauer, R., 1961, “Irreversibility and heat generation in the computing process”, IBM Journal of Research and Development, 5: 183–191. Bennett, C.H., 1982, “The thermodynamics of computation—a review”, International Journal of Theoretical Physics, 21(12): 905–940. Background reading: Wayne C. Myrvold, (2011) "Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics: A Maxwellian View." Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 42, Issue 4, November 2011, pp 237–243. [Preprint] http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/8638/	I	Norton Powerpoint
3	Sep 12	Entropy and Information: A Skeptical Critique John D. Norton, "All Shook Up: Fluctuations, Maxwell's Demon and the Thermodynamics of Computation," Prepared for the journal, Entropy. John D. Norton, "Brownian Computation is Thermodynamically Irreversible." Background: Smoluchowski, Marian von (1912). “Experimentell nachweisbare, der üblichen Thermodynamik widersprechende Molekularphänomene,” Physikalische Zeitschrift, 13, pp.1069-1080. More, including Powerpoints: Rotman Institute of Philosophy Summer School Foundations of Statistical Mechanics John D. Norton, "When a Good Theory Meets a Bad Idealization: The Failure of the Thermodynamics of Computation." Goodies.	II	Norton Powerpoint 1 Powerpoint 2
4	Sep 19	Time in Quantum theory Jan Hilgevoord "Time in Quantum Mechanics: A History of Confusion,” Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 36 (2005), pp.29–60. P. Busch, “The Time-Energy Uncertainty Relation,” http://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0105049 Read 3.1-3.2 and 3.5 - 3.6.1. Tom Pashby, "Time and Quantum Theory: A History and A Prospectus."	III	Tom Pashby
5	Sep 26	Well-Posed Theories John D. Norton, "The Dome: An Unexpectedly Simple Failure of Determinism" Philosophy of Science, 75, No. 5, (2008). pp. 786-98 or the short version in John D. Norton, “The Dome: A Simple Violation of Determinism in Newtonian Mechanics,” In Goodies. Also the appendix to "Approximation and Idealization" for the case of systems with infinitely many degrees of freedom.	IV	Norton (30 min) Powerpoint
		Balazs Gyenis, " "Determinism, physical possibility, and laws of nature"," manuscript.		Balazs Gyenis
6	Oct 3	Curie's Principle Pierre Curie (1894) "On symmetry in physical phenomena, symmetry of an electric field and of a magnetic field"	V	Tyler Ahlstrom (15 min)
		Jenan Ismael (1997), "Curie's Principle," Synthese 110, pp.167–190.		George Borg (30 min)
		Roberts, Bryan W. (2012) The simple failure of Curie's Principle. [Preprint] http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/9862/		Michael Miller (45 min)
		Background: A. F. Chalmers (1970), "Curie's Principle," British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 21, pp.133-48.
7	Oct 10	Reality of the Quantum State Framework for PBR defined in: Nicholas Harrigan, Robert W. Spekkens, "Einstein, incompleteness, and the epistemic view of quantum states," http://arxiv.org/abs/0706.2661v1		Norton (45 min) notes
		Matthew F. Pusey, Jonathan Barrett, Terry Rudolph, “On the reality of the quantum state,” http://arxiv.org/abs/1111.3328		George Borg (45 min)
		Further reading: Matt Leifer, “Can the Quantum State be Interpreted Statistically.” Blog at http://mattleifer.info/2011/11/20/can-the-quantum-state-be-interpreted-statistically/ Maximilian Schlosshauer and Arthur Fine, “Is the Pusey–Barrett–Rudolph Theorem Compatible with Quantum Nonseparability?” http://arxiv.org/abs/1306.5805
8	Oct 17	Discovery Exercise presentations		All
9	Oct 24	A primer in modern cosmology. Andrew R Liddle, "An introduction to cosmological inflation" http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9901124 Scott Watson, "An Exposition on Inflationary Cosmology" http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0005003		Norton Cosmology 001 inflation de Sitter spacetime
		The observed history of the universe		Nora Boyd (10 min)
		Background G. F. R. Ellis, "On the Philosophy of Cosmology," Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 2013 J.-Ch. Hamilton "What have we learned from observational cosmology" http://arxiv.org/pdf/1304.4446.pdf
10	Oct 31	Observational Cosmology and Dark Matter/Energy Andreas Albrecht et al. Report of the Dark Energy Task Force. 2006. http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0609591
		Sections I-IV. Summary and recommendations		Tyler Ahlstrom(30 min)
		Sections VI-VII. Dark Energy Primer, DETF Model		Mike Miller (30 min)
		Section VIII. Staging Stage IV		George Borg (30 min)
		Sections IX-X Performance Projections, Dark Energy Projects		Nora Boyd (30 min)
11	Nov 7	Quintessence M. Barnard, A. Abrahamse, A. Albrecht B. Bozek, M. Yashar "Exploring Parameter Constraints on Quintessential Dark Energy: The Albrecht-Skordis Model" arXiv:0712.2875, Phys. Rev. D 77, 103502 (2008) M. Barnard, A. Abrahamse, A. Albrecht B. Bozek, M. Yashar "A measure of the impact of future dark energy experiments based on discriminating power among quintessence models" arXiv:0804.0413 Phys.Rev.D78:043528 (2008).	VI	Nora Boyd
12	Nov 14	No seminar meeting
	Nov 14	Term paper proposals due
	Friday Nov 15	Special meeting with Andreas Albrecht. 9:30am. G28CL.
13	Nov 21	Epistemic Access to Other Worlds? The Inductive Problem Eric Hatleback, "Cosmological Induction: A Familiar Philosophical Foe."		Eric Hatleback
		Probability Across Worlds Gibbons, G. W.; Hawkings, S. W. and Stewart, J. M. 1987. “A Natural Measure on the Set of All Universes.” Nuclear Physics B281: 736-51. Gibbons, G. W. and Turok, Neil. 2008) “Measure Problem in Cosmology,” Physical Review, D77, pp. 063516-1-12. Hawking, S. W. and Page, Don N. 1988 “How Probable is Inflation?” Nuclear Physics B298: 789-809.		Mike Miller
	Nov 28	Thanksgiving Recess
14	Dec 5	Probabilities in Statistical Mechanics Roman Frigg, 'Probability in Boltzmannian Statistical Mechanics', in Gerhard Ernst and Andreas Hüttemann (eds.): Time, Chance and Reduction. Philosophical Aspects of Statistical Mechanics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010, 92-118. http://www.romanfrigg.org/writings/Probability_in_Boltzmannian_SM.pdf		Tyler Ahlstrom (30 min)
		Myrvold, Wayne C. (2012) “Probabilities in Statistical Mechanics: What are they?” http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/9236/		Norton (briefly)
		Background Roman Frigg, ‘What is Statistical Mechanics?', forthcoming in Carlos Galles, Pablo Lorenzano, Eduardo Ortiz, and Hans-Jörg Rheinberger (eds.): History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems Volume 4, Isle of Man: Eolss. http://www.romanfrigg.org/writings/What_is_SM.pdf
		General discussion		All
	Fri, Dec 13	Term papers due