2nd CFA: ‘Cosmology Beyond Spacetime’ Summer Institute, 26 June – 1 July 2022

2nd Call for Applications:

International Summer Institute in Philosophy of Physics on the PHILOSOPHY OF COSMOLOGY and the PHILOSOPHY OF QUANTUM GRAVITY

Hosted by the University of Geneva-University of Illinois at Chicago Cosmology Beyond Spacetime project

Hotel Le Crêt, Morzine, France 

26 June – 2 July 2022

Further information, when available, at http://beyondspacetime.net/2022summerinstitute/.

In recent years, the philosophy of quantum gravity and the philosophy of cosmology have emerged as new fields in their own right, with several summer schools dedicated to each. However, they remain largely unconnected, even though their intersection promises new scientific insights of great significance to philosophical question and the advancement of physics. This Summer Institute proposes to address conceptual, metaphysical, and epistemological implications of big bang, black hole, and multiverse models in quantum gravity: the fundamental nature of space and time, especially the beginning of spacetime, ‘before’ time or ‘outside’ space; the multiverse; the nature of physical law; and how we might have knowledge of such things.

These are just some of the questions that we will discuss in this Summer Institute, which addresses graduate students and postdocs from philosophy of physics and related fields.

Faculty:

JUNIOR FELLOWSHIP in PHILOSOPHY OF QUANTUM GRAVITY

University of Illinois at Chicago

The philosophy of physics group at the Department of Philosophy at UIC solicits applications for a junior visiting fellowship for advanced PhD students, starting January 2022 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is funded by the John Templeton Foundation grant ‘Cosmology Beyond Spacetime’.

Candidates must be ABD in a PhD program at an accredited university, working on a dissertation related to the philosophy of quantum gravity or cosmology, broadly construed. The fellowship will provide support for the successful candidate to spend six months away from their home institution to work with the project’s UIC group led by Professor Nick Huggett, 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 Huggett. 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. More information on the project and the research group is available at http://beyondspacetime.net/.

The fellowship is fixed-term for six months, to be negotiated with the successful candidate. The salary is $15,000 for six months. Research funds will be available for travel to relevant conferences and to visit the project’s other group at the University of Geneva. The successful candidate must remain enrolled as a full-time student at their home institution, and will not be admitted into any degree program at UIC. 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 Nick Huggett at huggett@uic.edu.

Review of the files will begin on October 11, 2021 and continue until the position is filled. Candidates files may 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, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged.

For more information, please contact Professor Nick Huggett at huggett@uic.edu.

CFA: ‘Cosmology Beyond Spacetime’ Summer Institute, 27 June – 2 July 2021

Call for Applications:

International Summer Institute in Philosophy of Physics on the PHILOSOPHY OF COSMOLOGY and the PHILOSOPHY OF QUANTUM GRAVITY

Hosted by the University of Geneva-University of Illinois at Chicago Cosmology Beyond Spacetime project

Hotel Le Crêt, Morzine, France
27 June – 2 July 2021

Further information, when available, at http://beyondspacetime.net/2021summerinstitute/.

Beyond Spacetime Online Seminar Series, 3 February to 10 March 2021

This is to announce an online seminar series organized by the Beyond Spacetime project in conjunction with the Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh, featuring talks by Francesca Vidotto, Lee Smolin, Chris Smeenk, Fay Dowker, Nick Huggett, and Christian Wüthrich on the intersection of quantum gravity and cosmology. More specifically, the program will be as follows:

• Feb 3: Nick Huggett, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Feb 10: Christian Wüthrich, University of Geneva
• Feb 17: Francesca Vidotto, Western University
• Feb 24: Lee Smolin, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
• March 3: Christopher Smeenk, Western University
• March 10: Fay Dowker, Imperial College London

For more information, including the zoom coordinates, please see https://www.centerphilsci.pitt.edu/cosmology-beyond-spacetime/ (and ignore the unrelated image on top!).

Please join us!

Call for applications: Junior fellowship in philosophy of physics, Geneva

Call for Applications:
JUNIOR FELLOWSHIP in PHILOSOPHY OF PHYSICS
University of Geneva

The Geneva Symmetry Group at the University of Geneva’s Department of Philosophy solicits applications for a six-months junior visiting fellowship for advanced PhD students, starting 1 August 2020 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is funded by the John Templeton Foundation grant `Cosmology Beyond Spacetime’.

New Templeton grant: “Cosmology Beyond Spacetime”

The Beyond Spacetime project of Nick Huggett (Illinois-Chicago) and Christian Wüthrich (Geneva) announces the award of a $600K grant from the John Templeton Foundation, to support their work on the project “Cosmology Beyond Spacetime”. Activities will include pre- and post-doctoral fellowships, speaker series, meetings, and publications. Follow the project on beyondspacetime.net, where some activities are already advertised; more information will follow soon.

Pittsburgh: Postdoc in Philosophy of Physics

The Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh invites applications for Fellowships supporting visits in the Center for a term or an academic year during the year 2020-2021. For details, visit the Center Website, www.pitt.edu/~pittcntr.

The Center is pleased to announce that Nick Huggett will be the Senior Visiting Fellow for the academic year September 2020 – April 2021. We encourage applications for Postdoctoral and Visiting Fellowships from scholars whose research intersects with Professor Huggett’s.

In particular, one postdoc may be in the philosophy of cosmology, of quantum gravity, or of spacetime theories:

CFP: Conference on the Foundations of Cosmology and Quantum Gravity

Call for Papers: Conference on the Foundations of Cosmology and Quantum Gravity (FCQG 2020)

At New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) on January 19-21, 2020.

The conference is being jointly sponsored by the NYUAD Institute and two generous grants from the Templeton Foundation—one supporting the ‘Beyond Spacetime’ project based at Illinois-Chicago and Geneva, and the other supporting the `New Directions in Philosophy of Cosmology’ based at UC-Irvine and Western University.

http://www.philcosmo.uwo.ca/
https://beyondspacetime.net/

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS INCLUDE

Call for Applications: PhD Position in Philosophy of Physics or Philosophy of Science at Geneva

Call for Applications: PhD Position in Philosophy of Physics or Philosophy of Science

Department of Philosophy
University of Geneva

The philosophy of physics group at the Department of Philosophy in Geneva solicits applications for a PhD position in philosophy of physics or in philosophy of science. This position is initially for two years, but is renewable for a total of up to five years. Please note that for this position, excellent French will be needed. The full ad in French follows:

Public talk: Fay Dowker, Geneva, 17 May 2018

I would like to draw your attention to the following public talk, which is organized by the “service de communication” of the University of Geneva, with the support of the Geneva Symmetry Group (https://genevasymmetrygroup.wordpress.com/):

Thursday, 17 May 2018, 18h30, Uni Dufour (room will be advertised):

Fay Dowker, Professor of Theoretical Physics, Imperial College London:

Past, Present and Future: The Science of Time
(The talk will be in English, with simultaneous translation into French.)