Here’s the sixth lecture from the Rotman Summer Institute on Foundations of Statistical Mechanics from July 14-20, 2013. Lots more to come.
In this lecture Albert discusses the problems arising from the fact that classical statistical mechanics assumes the time-reversal symmetric Newtonian dynamics. Albert begins with a discussion of how the evolutions of microscopic states underwrite thermodynamic behavior on the macroscopic level. He discusses the reversibility objection—the problem that statistical mechanics predicts that the systems are in a higher-entropy state in the past, along with the problem that our every-day empirical experience gives asymmetrical epistemic access to the past and future. Albert provides the basics of his project, which is aimed at resolving these problematic consequences. This lecture concludes with a discussion of the Past Hypothesis.
Thanks to Melissa Jacquart for editing the video, and writing the above precis of the lecture.
