Reduction and Emergence in Physics (21-22 June, 2013)
Idea and Motivation
The aim of the workshop is to bring together physicists and philosophers of physics for a meeting focused on fundamental issues in physics relating to reduction and emergence. Particpants will include researchers with expertise in string theory, statistical physics, condensed matter physics, and renormalisation. The workshop will
combine consideration of issues in contemporary physics research with discussion of longstanding philosophical questions, such as the nature of scientific explanations and the relationship between different
systems of physical laws.
Program
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 09:15 | Welcome |
| 09:30 | Paul Hoyningen-Huene (Hannover). Introduction and Overview of Topic. |
| 10:00 | Jeremy Butterfield (Cambridge). Reduction and Emergence in the Context of Renormalization. |
| 11:00 | Eric Winsberg (USF). Decoherence and Emergence: How to Learn to Stop Worrying and Love Unobservables. |
| 12:00 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | Dustin Lazarovici (LMU Munich). Are ‘Macroscopic Laws’ Laws?—Typicality as the Basis for Statistical Reasoning in Physics. |
| 14:10 | Charlotte Werndl (LSE). Reduction, Measures and Typicality in Statistical Mechanics. |
| 15:10 | Coffee Break |
| 15:30 | Lena Zuchowski (Cambridge). The Two Notions of Emergence in Complexity Science. |
| 16:30- 17:30 |
Richard Dawid (Vienna). Explanation and Effective Theories in Anthropic Reasoning. |
| 19:00 | Workshop Dinner at Donna Maria |
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 09:30 | Erwin Frey (LMU Munich). The Physics of Biological Function. |
| 10:30 | Coffe Break |
| 10:50 | Samuel Fletcher (UC Irvine). On the Reduction of General Relativity to Newtonian Gravitation. |
| 11:30 | Radin Dardashti (LMU Munich). What Can a Dumb Hole Tell Us About Gravity? |
| 12:10 | Lunch |
| 13:40 | Gia Dvali (LMU Munich). Black Hole’s Quantum Portrait. |
| 14:40- 15:40 |
Michael Berry (Bristol). The Maggot in the Apple: Peaceful Coexistence of Incompatible Theories. |
Acknowledgement:
The conference is supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation through an Alexander von Humboldt Professorship and by the Center for Advanced Studies (CAS).