This is the first lecture from the Rotman Summer Institute on Foundations of Statistical Mechanics from July 14-20, 2013. More will follow at the rate of approximately one per week. In this introductory lecture, Wayne Myrvold discusses thermodynamics. He introduces the theory without presupposing the molecular theory of matter or that thermodynamic systems can be [...]
Here is the schedule for the Annual Western Philosophy of Physics Conference: Friday, May17th in Stevnson Hall 1145 9:30 a.m Jill North (Cornell University) “The Structure of Spacetime: A New Approach to the Spacetime Ontology Debate” 11:00 Erik Curiel (University of Western Ontario, Rotman Institute of Philosophy) “On the Existence of Spacetime Structure” wedding flowers [...]
Join us on May 18-19, 2013 for the thirteenth annual Philosophy of Logic, Math and Physics (LMP13) graduate student conference in philosophy at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. LMP13 will bring together philosophers of logic, mathematics and physics for two days of presentations and discussions with some of the leaders in these fields. We are [...]
By Frédéric-I. Banville On May 1st 2013, Professor Alfonso Caramazza (Harvard University) gave the second lecture in the Neurophilosophy Speaker Series, which is jointly sponsored by Western's Rotman Institute of Philosophy and the Brain and Mind Institute. Caramazza is a professor of Psychology, Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory at Harvard University and the Directory [...]
On April 19th, 2013 Gregory M. Mikkelson from McGill University visited as a special lecturer in the philosophy of biology, which was co-organized by the Rotman Institute and the Biology Department’s Friday Philosophicals. Mikkelson’s main research interests are in environmental ethics, ecology and economics. His talk at Western prompted a very fruitful discussion, some of [...]
On Wednesday October 17th the Rotman Institute sponsored a pub night at The Morrissey House where we discussed the history of quantification in science. The purpose was to discuss some of the ideas raised atThe Language of Nature Workshop with interested members of the public. The discussion was led by Chris Smeenk and Benjamin Hill [...]
The last talk in the Rotman lecture series, given by George Reisch of Northwestern University, focused on how the political and social climate of the late 1950s influenced Kuhn’s famous book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Reisch claims that Kuhn’s early insistence that paradigms immutably and comprehensively colour the way scientists perceive phenomena and assess [...]
Video of Dr. Cartwright's talk at the Rotman Institute in March of 2012: Pot Belly Pig Secrets zp8497586rq
It is my pleasure to introduce the Rotman Institute of Philosophy Events Planning and Outreach Committee (REPOC for short). REPOC organizes and helps Rotman Institute members carry out public outreach and science education events. On Tuesday, April 2nd, REPOC held its inaugural event, the first in a series of Science Pub Nights. At Science Pub Nights, [...]
Dr. Nancy Cartwright will be the third annual Lecturer in Philosophy & Science, giving two talks: one on Thursday, March 8th beginning at 5pm EST ("Evidence, Argument and Mixed Methods"), and another on Friday, March 9th at 3:30 pm EST ( "Wiser Use of Social Science, Wiser Wishes, Wiser Policies"). Both talks will be streNintendo [...]
