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History and Philosophy of Physics

History and Philosophy of Physics (HoPhoP)

HoPhoP is an interdisciplinary group of students and faculty at Yale dedicated to exploring and discussing topics in the philosophy and history of physics, and of science more broadly.  

We engage with foundational texts as well as with contemporary ideas and guest speakers.  Meetings are once a month.

Contact:

 Jacob Paras  or Thomas Morris

Faculty Advisor:

 Priya Natarajan

Past Meeting Schedules

Spring 2026

History & Foundations of Physics - March 3, 2026, “A Conversation with Adam Frank, University of Rochester, Co-author of  The Blind Spot”. Kline Tower, rm. 401 @ 5:30 pm.

Fall 2025

History & Foundations of Physics - September 2, 2025, Discussion of “How the Hippies Saved Physics”. Kline Tower, rm. 401 @ 5:30 pm.

Co-sponsored by the Franke Program in Science and the Humanities.

Spring 2025

  • Computer Science Reading Group and History & Foundations of Physics - May 12, 2025, “Artificial intelligence and illusions of understanding in scientific research”. Kline Tower, rm. 401 @ 5:30 pm.
  • History & Foundations of Physics - April 29, 2025, “Not the Measurement Problem’s Problem: Black hole information loss with Shrödinger’s cat”. Kline Tower, rm. 401 @ 5:30 pm.
  • History & Foundations of Physics - March 25, 2025, “The Role of Intuition in Science”. Kline Tower, rm. 401 @ 5:30 pm.
  • History & Foundations of Physics - February 18, 2025, “Prestige Asymmetry in American Physics” by Joseph Martin. Kline Tower, rm. 401 @ 5:30 pm.

Fall 2024

  • History & Foundations of Physics - December 12, 2024, “The Expanded Laboratory Environment: Discerning Signal to Noise in Extremely Sensitive Experiments”. Kline Tower, rm. 501 @ 5:30 pm.
  • History & Foundations of Physics - November 20, 2024, “Are scientists special?”. Kline Tower, rm. 501 @ 5:30 pm.
  • History & Foundations of Physics Group - October 1, 2024, “What is Complexity in Science?”. Kline Tower, rm. 501 @ 5:30 pm.

Summer 2024

  • History & Foundations of Physics & Graduate Theory Seminar Group - June 4, 2024, “Symmetry and Conservation in Nature”. Kline Tower, rm. 501 @ 12:30 pm.

Spring 2024

  • History & Foundations of Physics at the Yale Peabody Museum - May 15, 2024, “How Does Physics Make it to the Museum? A visit to the Peabody with History of Science Curator, Professor Paola Bertucci”. Discussion with lunch at the YSB Courtyard @ 2:30pm
  • Terry Lectureship Lunch - April 26, 2024, “Lunch with Lorraine Daston”. Linsly-Chittenden Hall, rm. 210 @ 1:00pm
  • Meeting 4.2 - March 26, 2024, “What is a simulation for? Physics between theory and experiment”. Kline Tower, rm. 401 @ 5:30pm
  • Meeting 4.1 - February 21, 2024, “Unpacking Scientist Narratives and Community Sociology”. Kline Tower, rm. 401 @ 5:30pm

Fall 2023

  • Meeting 3.3 - December 5, 2023, “Computing What Cannot be Predicted: Origins of Machine Learning as Subjective Decision Making”. Kline Tower, rm. 401 @ 5:30pm
  • Meeting 3.2 - November 1, 2023, “Non-Empirical Theory Assessment in Theoretical Physics”. Kline Tower, rm. 501 @ 5:30pm
  • Meeting 3.1 - September 26, 2023, “Replication in Science”. Humanities Quadrangle, rm. C65 @ 5:30pm

Spring 2023

  • Meeting 2.3 - April 25, 2023, “How Dark Matter came to Matter: A discussion with Jaco De Swart”. 46 Hillhouse Ave., rm. 104 @ 5:30pm
  • Meeting 2.2 - April 3, 2023, “The Meaning of Probability”. 46 Hillhouse Ave., rm. 104 @ 5:30pm
  • Meeting 2.1 - March 2, 2023, “Norton’s Dome and Determinism”. 46 Hillhouse Ave., rm. 104 @ 5:30pm

Fall 2022

  • Meeting 1.3 - December 8, 2022, “Science and Objectivity”. 46 Hillhouse Ave., rm. 104 @ 5:30pm
  • Meeting 1.2 - October 25, 2022, “The Measurement Problem I: Formulation and Everett”. 46 Hillhouse Ave., rm. 104 @ 5:30pm
  • Meeting 1.1 - September 28, 2022, “Scientific knowledge and progress: Popper and Kuhn”. 46 Hillhouse Ave., rm. 104 @ 5:30pm