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March 2017
Karim Thébault (Bristol), “Cosmic Singularity Resolution via Quantum Evolution”
Abstract: Classical models of the universe generically feature a big bang singularity. That is, when we consider progressively earlier and earlier times, physical quantities stop behaving in a reasonable way. A particular problem is that physical quantities related to the curvature of spacetime become divergent. A long standing hope is that a theory of quantum gravity would `resolve’ the big bang singularity by providing quantum models of the early universe in which all physical quantities are always finite. Unfortunately, not…
Find out more »June 2017
Heather Dyke (LSE), “Experience of Passage in a Static World”
Abstract. The view that experience seems to tell us directly that time flows has long been accepted by both A-theorists and B-theorists in the philosophy of time. A-theorists take it as a powerful endorsement of their position, sometimes using it explicitly in an argument for their view, and other times more implicitly, as a kind of non-negotiable, experiential given. B-theorists have tended to accept that we have this experience, and have sought alternative explanations for it, consistent with the B-theory. The…
Find out more »October 2017
Parallel Universes: A Philosophy and Physics Panel
Speakers Fay Dowker, Professor of Theoretical Physics, Imperial College London Eleanor Knox, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, King’s College London Simon Saunders, Professor of Philosophy of Physics, University of Oxford Chair Jonathan Birch, Fellow, The Forum; Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, LSE Is Schrödinger’s cat alive or dead? This thought experiment was devised to illustrate a fundamental puzzle in quantum mechanics. A radical solution is that the cat is both alive and dead, but in different, parallel…
Find out more »March 2018
Tudor Baetu (Bristol), “Pain in Psychology, Biology and Medicine: Implications for Eliminativist and Physicalist Accounts “
Abstract. An analysis of arguments for pain eliminativism reveals two significant points of divergence between assumptions underlying scientific research on pain and assumptions typically endorsed by physicalist accounts. The first concerns the status of the term ‘pain’, which is an operationalized description of a phenomenon, rather than an explanatory construct. The second concerns an explicit cause-effect model according to which pain is produced by neural mechanisms and causally determined by a variety of biological, psychological and social factors, as opposed…
Find out more »November 2018
Black Holes
What are black holes? What happens inside one? We discuss black holes, philosophy, and the relationship between science and sci-fi.
Find out more »May 2019
Replication Crisis?
What does the replication crisis mean for trust in science?
Find out more »October 2020
Anti-vaxxers and Other Sceptics
Will a future COVID vaccine be undermined by anti-vaxxers? Why does medical scepticism persist, and how might it be tackled? Rohin Francis, Katherine Furman, and Heidi Larson discuss the causes of and cures for distrust in medical expertise.
Find out more »The Musical Mind
Ian Cross, Diana Omigie, and Barry Smith explore the phenomenon and evolution of music. How deep does music go in human history? What role does music play in the evolution of the mind? And is the ability to hear music uniquely human?
Find out more »November 2020
The Nature of Beauty
When presented with two equally good theories, scientists prefer the more beautiful. Artist Adrian Holme and philosopher Milena Ivanova discuss the nature of beauty and the relationship between art and science.
Find out more »January 2021
Misinformation
From COVID-19 to QAnon, misinformation is more ubiquitous and dangerous than ever. Lisa Bortolotti, Quassim Cassam, and Cailin O'Connor discuss why misinformation so attractive to so many and what can be done about it.
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