»Conferences & Events

May 31 – June 3, 2022

In contrast to classical physics, quantum physics attributes special significance to the act of “measurement”. This has led to decades of discussions in the foundations of quantum theory. Our workshop brings together scientists and philosophers who see value in exploring whether this hints at the relevance of the first person in physics – the entity that performs the measurement. We will discuss information-theoretic, mathematical, and philosophical arguments that aim at evaluating the potential relation between quantum physics and the first person.

For example, does consciousness play a crucial role in quantum physics, as von Neumann and Wigner claimed decades ago and is this testable? Or are quantum states best interpreted as agent’s subjective degrees of belief about future experiences, as QBism asserts? Or does quantum theory hint at an ontology that is more akin to an idealist worldview? And what should we make of thought experiments involving observers and quantum mechanics, such as Wigner’s friend or Bell experiments with human choices?

Our participants and organizers have very different opinions on these questions, and our workshop will make these views collide head-on, in lively but respectful discussions. We hope to find some common ground and initiate discussions across fields that have so far remained separate. Click here for more conference info.

Friday, 5 November @ 3PM in Memorial Hall Auditorium

In the constellation of Eridanus there lurks a cosmic mystery, as if something has taken a huge bite out of the universe, leaving a supervoid. Could it be an enormous black hole, another universe, or an expanding vacuum bubble, destined to annihilate everything in existence? That is just one of many cosmic mysteries that have left scientists scratching their heads. In this lecture, based on his new book, award-winning physicist Paul Davies will describe how the universe came to exist, outline the many remaining puzzles and explain some of the extraordinary breakthroughs of the past few decades.

Admission is free, but registration is required.Register here.

Wednesday, 13 October, 2021 @ 830AM

https://rebrand.ly/IQSHossenfelder

The Institute for Quantum Studies at Chapman University presents an online discussion between Dr. Sabine Hossenfelder (Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies) and Dr. Matthew Leifer (Institute for Quantum Studies, Chapman University).   Dr. Hossenfelder's research focusses on the foundations of physics, including quantum gravity, physics beyond the standard model, and quantum foundations.  She has recently advocated "superdeterminism", which is the idea that nonlocality can be avoided in a Bell experiment due to per-existing correlations between the measurement settings and the hidden state.  Dr. Hossenfelder is also a prolific science writer, including the 2018 book "Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray", articles for publications including Scientific American, The New York Times and the Guardian, and her blog https://backreaction.blogspot.com/  Recently, she has been explaining science on her YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1yNl2E66ZzKApQdRuTQ4tw  There will be an opportunity for audience Q&A after the event.  The conversation will be broadcast live on YouTube at https://rebrand.ly/IQSHossenfelder