This is a reminder that this year’s essay prize deadline is October 31st! More information is here: https://beyondspacetime.net/essay-prize-2017-cfp/ – the bottom line is there is a $1000 prize, a talk at one of the centers, and publication in a volume we are editing. Please submit!

We have a number of speakers lined up (with more to come) – the first will be at Geneva next week, and simulcast to UIC .

Wednesday 21 September 2016 at Geneva – Joshua Norton (American University Beirut): Incubating a future metaphysics: quantum gravity

Abstract: In this talk, I will argue that metaphysicians ought to utilize quantum theories of gravity (QG) as incubators for a future metaphysics. In §1, I will argue why this ought to be done. In §2, I will present case studies from the history of science where physical theories have challenged both the dogmatic and speculative metaphysician. In §3, I will present two theories of QG and demonstrate the challenge they pose to certain aspects of our current metaphysics; in particular, how they challenge our understanding of the abstract-concrete distinction. In this section I demonstrate how five different accounts of the distinction each fail to hold under the received interpretations of loop quantum gravity and string theory. The central goal of this talk is to encourage metaphysicians to look to physical theories, especially those involving cosmology such as string theory and loop quantum gravity, when doing metaphysics.

To celebrate the first anniversary of the Space and Time After Quantum Gravity project, we have published our first Beyond Spacetime Popular (BST-POP) videos, designed for a popular scientific and philosophical audience. So far there are interviews with Richard Dawid and Carlo Rovelli, and a discussion by Keizo Matsubara on the value of philosophy in physics (especially quantum gravity). More are on the way!

The videos are on our YouTube Channel and here – there are video links above as well.

Coming Soon: short lecture series on the philosophy of quantum spacetime, for philosophers. Watch this spot.

Dean Rickles gave his talk, “Dual Theories: ‘Same but different’ or ‘Different but Same’?” in April at UIC. The video for the talk is now available to view, and also accessible on the Speaker’s Page.

Gomes is one of the winners of our essay prize this year and gave a talk on May 25, 2016 at UIC.  The video of his presentation is now available to view, and also accessible on the Speaker’s page.

We are really happy to announce that (almost) all the video of lectures from the recent Summer Institute are now available online, click above or go here:

https://beyondspacetime.net/summer-institute-program/

(or to our YouTube site). We have included the schedule, so if you like you can follow the same course of lectures that we did. Or you can choose á la carte.

Lectures from: Wüthrich, Ismael, Rovelli, Belot, Ney, Minic, and Matsubara, and (soon) more. Enjoy, and please tell your friends!

This is a reminder that we have a program that offers small grants (up to $600) for visits of a few days or weeks to either Geneva or UIC, for scholars working in relevant fields. Please come and join in! Details are above, or here.

One of the participants of the summer school, the amazing Kaća Bradonjić, painted wonderful watercolours of the talks and discussions, which you can find here:

http://kacabradonjic.com/projections/

Here’s one as a taster – “Space and Time (or not) in Loop Quantum Gravity” (inspired by a talk by Carlo Rovelli).

We just wanted to say thank you to everyone at the summer institute in Williams Bay this past week – it was a great success thanks to the efforts of all concerned. We will post some photos soon!

Sebastian De Haro has written a response to James Read’s talk on background independence – and Read has written a reply to it. If you watch the talk, they are recommended reading: the two of them have discussed the matter at length, and are actively pursuing the discussion. Find the paper here:

Click to access de-haro-read.pdf

or linked on YouTube to the video itself.