Philosophy and Physics Colloquium
Emergence and Naturalness: If we want to start with the physics of the very small – molecules, atoms, subatomic particles – and work out the emergent physics of large-scale systems – dust grains, iron bars, planets – we need to assume more than the laws of the very small: we have to make an additional assumption, often called naturalness. Despite the name, this assumption is puzzling in many respects, and the puzzle deepens into paradox because in our best theories of fundamental physics it seems to fail in two very specific places – the mass of the Higgs boson, and the rate of expansion of the Universe. In the lecture, I'll explain what the naturalness assumption is, how it relates to philosophical questions of 'strong' vs 'weak' emergence, why we need it in almost all of physics, and why its failure in particle physics and cosmology is one of the deepest problems in contemporary physics.
Biographical Blurb:David Wallace is a leading philosopher of physics, currently the Mellon Chair in Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh, with joint appointments in its Departments of Philosophy and History & Philosophy of Science. Before Pitt, he spent over two decades at Oxford University and held positions at the University of Southern California. Trained originally in theoretical physics, Wallace’s work focuses on foundational and conceptual issues in physics, especially the Everett (Many-Worlds) interpretation of quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, quantum field theory, and spacetime. He is the author of The Emergent Multiverse and Philosophy of Physics: A Very Short Introduction. For further information, visit his webpage.
Jointly organised by the Faculty of Philosophy, Philosophy of Science and Religious Studies and the Faculty of Physics at LMU Munich. Following the talk, everyone is invited to a reception.