2024-2025 HoFoP Schedule

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.

We will be discussing Lisa Messeri & M.J. Crockett’s Nature article, “Artificial intelligence and illusions of understanding in scientific research”.

Reading: Messeri & Crockett

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

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.

Not the Measurement Problem’s Problem: Black hole information loss with Shrödinger’s cat. Talk and discussion with Saakshi Dulani, Johns Hopkins University.

Reading: Dulani Preprint

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

History & Foundations of Physics - March 25, 2025, “The Role of Intuition in Science”. Kline Tower, rm. 401 @ 5:30 pm.

The discussion will be about the role of intuition in science - a very rich and relevant topic.  (It’s also the topic of the cover article for this month’s issue of Physics Today, by our very own Sebastian Fernandez-Mulligan).

Readings: Polanyi Tacit Knowledge and Fernandez-Mulligan Gravitational Lensing

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

History & Foundations of Physics - February 18, 2025, “Prestige Asymmetry in American Physics” by Joseph Martin. Kline Tower, rm. 401 @ 5:30 pm.

Supplemental Reading: Fundamental Disputations by Joseph Martin

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

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.

Discussion with Tiffany Nichols, Northeastern University

Reading: Nichols hidden in plain sight

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

History & Foundations of Physics - November 20, 2024, “Are scientists special?”. Kline Tower, rm. 501 @ 5:30 pm.

A conversation on moral virtues and public authority.

Readings: Shapin, the way we trust now and Shapin, Scientific Life Ch. 3 (supplemental)

Discussion Guide

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

History & Foundations of Physics Group - October 1, 2024, “What is Complexity in Science?”. Kline Tower, rm. 501 @ 5:30 pm.

A discussion on chaos, causality and computation.

Readings: McIntyre and Prigogine (optional)

Discussion Guide

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

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

Readings: Lange and Weyl (excerpt)

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