Spacetime Emergence. According to Loop Quantum Gravity, the gravitational field has a quantum description in terms of spacetime quanta. What are the properties of classical spacetime that are already present in a spacetime quanta? Which ones emerge in the classical limit? How do those spacetime quanta determine the physics of the primordial universe? Watch lecture here.
Suggested Readings:
Carlo Rovelli, and Francesca Vidotto (2014). Covariant Loop Quantum Gravity. CUP. http://www.cpt.univ-mrs.fr/~rovelli/IntroductionLQG.pdf
Lam, V., & Wüthrich, C. (2018). Spacetime is as spacetime does. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 64, 39-51. https://arxiv.org/pdf/1803.04374
Philosophical aspects of cosmic inflation. We will focus on some contemporary challenges faced by the theory of cosmic inflation, with a view to analyzing philosophical aspects of these challenges. In particular, we will focus on (i) the initial conditions problem for inflation and (ii) issues that arise as a consequence of (certain versions of) the theory, namely, that we live in a multiverse. Watch lecture here.
Suggested Readings:
Ijjas, A., Steinhardt, P. J., and Loeb, A. (2013). Inflationary paradigm in trouble after Planck. Physics Letters B, 723, 261. arXiv:1304.2785 [astro-ph.CO].
Guth, A. H., Kaiser, D. I., and Nomura, Y. (2014). Inflationary paradigm after Planck. Physics Letters B, 733, 112. arXiv:1312.7619 [astro-ph.CO].
The dynamical approach to spacetime theories. In the first lecture, I'll discuss Brown's "dynamical approach" to spacetime theories in the context of special relativity, and show that unpacking this view requires careful consideration of philosophical issues regarding explanation, laws, and analyticity. In the second lecture, I'll consider the various ways in which one might extend Brown's project to the context of theories of dynamical spacetime, in particular general relativity. Watch lecture here.
Suggested Readings:
Brown and Pooley (2006). "Minkowski spacetime a glorious non-entity".
Read, Brown & Lehmkuhl (2018). "Two miracles of general relativity".
Norton (2008). "Why constructive relativity fails".
Read (2020). "Explanation, geometry and conspiracy in relativity theory".
Nano-physics, quantum dots, and the quantum-classical interface. The compression of metals into the nanoscale gives rise to new material behaviors, such as localized surface plasmon resonance and quantum confinement. These material behaviors are realizations of quantum principles on a larger scale than the single-electron systems of introductory quantum mechanics, and they also require significant support from both classical physics and from chemistry in order to explain, predict, and describe. Using quantum-dot technology as a focal point, we will discuss the unusual role of quantum mechanics in nanoscale material behavior and some implications for understanding the relationship between the classical and the quantum. Watch lecture here.
Suggested Readings:
Jonathan Owen, and Louis Brus (2017). Chemical Synthesis and Luminescence Applications of Colloidal Semiconductor Quantum Dots. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 139, 10939−10943
Aw, Clive – National University of Singapore
Cannon, Keith – Chicago
Dawood, Radwa – Illinois, Chicago
Dougherty, John* – Munich
Elder, Jamee* – Notre Dame
Fankhauser, Johannes – Oxford
Fraser, Patrick – Toronto
Holmes, Abigail – Notre Dame
Hunt, Josh – Michigan
Jacobs, Caspar – Oxford
Kidd, Brandon – Illinois, Chicago
Linnemann, Niels* – Bremen
Luo, Yichen – Western
Maung, Raymond – Illinois, Chicago
Murgueitio Ramirez, Sebastian* – Notre Dame
Murphy, Claire – Notre Dame
Nanavaty, Anubhav – Chicago
Oughton, Natasha – Oxford
Panetta, Meg – Chicago
Perry, Stephen – Kentucky
Shields, Patrick – Notre Dame
Steeger, Jeremy* – Washington
Taschetto, Diana – São Paulo
* indicates a discussion group facilitator.
Nick Huggett – Illinois, Chicago
Thomas Pashby – Chicago
Nicholas Teh – Notre Dame