CFA for Workshop “Quantum Gravity” at the annual DPG Meeting, Berlin, 18-22 March 2024

The Working Group “Philosophy of Physics” (AGPhil) of the German Physical Society (DPG) invites submissions for its annual workshop. Contributions on any topic in philosophy of physics are welcome; the focus, however, will be on the topic of quantum gravity. The workshop takes place 18-22 March 2024 at the TU Berlin and will be part of the Annual Meeting of the DPG (https://berlin24.dpg-tagungen.de/).

The following Invited Speakers have confirmed thus far:

Two Postdoc Positions (full-time) and up to 5 Visiting Fellowships in History and Philosophy of Physics at the University of Bonn

The University of Bonn is an international research university offering a broad range of subjects. With a 200-year history, some 35,000 students, more than 6,000 employees, and an outstanding reputation in Germany and abroad, the University of Bonn is one of the leading universities in Germany and has been awarded the status of a University of Excellence.

Call for papers: Perspectivism and Quantum Mechanics

Perspectivism and Quantum Mechanics

Topical Collection in Foundations of Physics

Guest Editors: Philipp Berghofer (University of Graz) & Mahdi Khalili (University of Graz)

Topical Collection Summary:

First issue of Philosophy of Physics published!

We are delighted to announce that the inaugural issue of Philosophy of Physics (PoP) has been published by LSE Press on behalf of the Philosophy of Physics Society. 

The inaugural issue includes articles by Emily Adlam and Carlo Rovelli, Samuel C. Fletcher and James Owen Weatherall, Álvaro Mozota Frauca, Klaas Landsman, Wayne C. Myrvold and John D. Norton, Laura Ruetsche, and Ward Struyve. You can read it here.

This has only been possible due to the generous support given to the society by the members, trustees and sponsors, and to the journal by LSE Press, the editorial team, reviewers, and authors. Thanks and congratulations all round!

Conference: Philosophy of experiment, 16-17 November 2023

There will be a conference today and tomorrow at the University of Stockholm on the philosophy of experiment. Here is further information:

Online black hole thermodynamics conference

An announcement from Bruno Arderucio:

“In celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of The Four Laws of Black Hole Mechanics by J. M. Bardeen, B. Carter, and S. W. Hawking, we are pleased to announce a fully online event in honour of the golden wedding of black holes and thermodynamics. The conference takes place between the 4th and the 8th of December and covers black hole thermodynamics (BHT), quantum field theory in curved spacetimes (QFTCS) and relativistic quantum information (RQI). It might be interesting to some of you. You may register to attend the talks or to present a contribution. Contributions focusing on adjacent conceptual and philosophical aspects are welcome.

“There are also two minicourses to prepare students for the main event you may register to attend: one on BHT (starting next week) and another on RQI. The recordings of a third minicourse–on QFTCS–will soon be available online.

“For more information, a list of plenary speakers and registration, visit https://bht50.github.io/.”

Dianoia Institute: updated

Australian Catholic University has recently announced sudden plans to close their Dianoia Institute of Philosophy, throwing faculty, including several who have worked in philosophy of physics, out of work. This move will cause massive harm to humanities and social science research at ACU. Please read further information here, including contact emails (it is important to CC change@acu.edu.au if you write), and find a petition here.

CFP: Philosophy of Physics Society at the Pacific APA (2024)

The Philosophy of Physics Society invites submissions of abstracts (300–500 words, not including references) for our group meeting at the Pacific APA in Portland (OR), March 20–23, 2024. Accepted submissions will be given a 30-minute presentation time. To submit, please fill out the form at the below link by October 1, 2023.  Send questions to Sam Fletcher at scfletch@umn.edu.

https://forms.gle/YDWY4aQTfdosmVjT9

Call for nominations for the Hanneke Janssen Memorial Prize 2023 (with stipulations)

The Jury would like to issue a call for nominations for the 2023 Hanneke Janssen Memorial Prize which is awarded annually  by the Radboud University in Nijmegen for the best work in History and/or  Philosophy of Modern Physics, done by a student as a requirement for a Masters Thesis. The prize carries a 2000 euro award. Nominations for this Prize need to be submitted by a supervisor of the nominee before October 16, 2023. 

We would also like to issue a special encouragement for the nomination of candidates from underrepresented groups. 

For more details I refer to the attached  stipulations.

Sincerely, 

The Jury, 

   Jos Uffink  (chair, University of Minnesota)

   Guido Bacciagaluppi  (Utrecht University) 

   Klaas Landsman  (Radboud University, Nijmegen)

   Christoph Lehner (Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, Vienna)

   Francesca Vidotto   (Western University, Ontario)

Utrecht Philosophy of Astronomy & Cosmology Colloquium

The Utrecht Philosophy of Astronomy & Cosmology Research Group (UPAC) is organising a weekly colloquium on the philosophy of astronomy, astro(particle) physics and cosmology, which can be attended either in person or online. The colloquium takes place on Tuesdays (starting on the 3rd of October) and rotates between three formats: a speaker presentation, a reading group session, and a work-in-progress session. It is possible to sign up for the UPAC Colloquium mailing list here. (Please check your spam folder for an email with a confirmation link to complete the subscription process!)

All other info, including the schedule, can be found at: https://www.uu.nl/en/research/utrecht-philosophy-of-astronomy-cosmology/events/upac-colloquium. For questions, please contact cosmo-master@uu.nl.