Previous projects
Marie Curie Fellowship
The PhilDarkEnergy project proposes that the most dominant ingredient of our universe, dark energy, undermines the widely held assumption of a strict ontological trichotomy between spacetime, matter and constants of nature. Dark energy exhibits aspects of all three categories, rather than falling neatly into exactly one category. The project will study the wide-ranging and far-reaching consequences of this blurred categorisation of dark energy for major debates in philosophy—in particular: the substantivalism-relationalism debate about the metaphysics of spacetime and matter, scientific realism vs. scientific anti-realism, and conventionalism—as well as for theory development in cosmology. This project will take place at the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands, and provide the fellow Dr. Niels Martens with additional training, skills and knowledge in the fields of philosophy of dark energy and philosophy of cosmology more broadly. This will consolidate his academic expertise, independence and networks, with the goals of providing him the skills and expertise needed for a permanent academic position in the EU and playing a leading role in developing and promoting the new field of philosophy of cosmology in the EU.
- Project number MSCA: 101065772
- Project leader: Dr. Niels Martens
- Host: Dr. G. Bacciagaluppi
- Project duration: 01/09/2022-31/08/2024 (terminated on 31/03/2023)
FQXi Mini-Grant
Spontaneous collapse theories are modifications of quantum mechanics that introduce a fundamental (as opposed to ‘measurement-induced’) mechanism of collapse of the quantum mechanical wave function. The first arguably successful proposal was by Ghirardi, Rimini and Weber (GRW) in the mid-1980s for standard non-relativistic quantum mechanics. In the non- relativistic case, however, the collapse happens instantaneously everywhere, so that there is no straightforward relativistic generalisation. Various proposals have been put forward, but they are all problematic in some ways, and there is currently no consensus on the way forward.
This project is a collaboration between Guido Bacciagaluppi (UU), Wayne Myrvold (Western Ontario) and Owen Maroney (Oxford) investigating the current options for relativistic collapse theories, especially in the light of recent results by ourselves and others.
- Project leader: Dr. G. Bacciagaluppi
- Project duration: 30/05/2019 to 31/07/2021
NWO Veni project
Quantum mechanics is one of the most prominent theories of physics to date. However, since its conception, there have been disputes about the interpretation of its main object: the quantum state of a system. Are quantum states aspects of the world (ontic interpretation), or do they represent our knowledge about a system (epistemic interpretation)?
For some eighty years, this has been mainly a philosophical question. However, in 2012, Pusey, Barrett and Rudolph (PBR) showed that, given some intuitive assumptions, an epistemic interpretation is in conflict with quantum mechanical predictions. Specifically, their theorem demonstrates that, in any model that is able to reproduce the predictions of quantum mechanics, and in which states give a direct description of reality, the quantum state must be part of this description of reality. Obviously, such a result requires that the notion of an ontic interpretation of quantum states is formalized within the language of mathematics. In this project this step will be severely scrutinized to assess the precise philosophical import of the PBR theorem and other so-called ψ-ontology theorems. In addition, there are two sub-projects on the implications of ψ-ontology theorems.
The first concerns the implications for the quantum mechanical description of macroscopic systems. Quantum mechanics allows for the possibility of superposition states which, on an ontic interpretation, leads to the famous paradox of Schrödinger's cat. This sub-project explicates the possibilities for reconciling the quantum description of macroscopic systems with our every day experience.
The second focuses on the role of quantum states as generators for probability functions. Does an ontic interpretation of quantum states directly imply that these probabilities are also intrinsic properties of the world? And if not, what do ψ-ontology theorems tell us about the nature of quantum probabilities? These questions will be answered in the second sub-project.
- Project number NWO: 275-20-070
- Project leader: Dr. R. Hermens
- Project duration: 16/01/2018 to 31/08/2020
- Affiliated with: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
NWO Veni project
Inquiry into a characterisation of QED in accordance to the Suppesian view of characterising scientific theories by means of a set-theoretical predicate, hence leading to a class of QED-structures, which class is then identified as the theory QED.
- Project leader: Dr. F.A. Muller
- Project duration: 2000-2004
NWO project
Modern science, particularly twentieth-century physics, has challenged some of the most fundamental philosophical conceptions of knowledge and understanding. The view that science can provide understanding by uncovering causal laws behind the observable phenomena has become questionable in the light of quantum mechanics. Moreover, quantum mechanics does not provide a unambiguous "picture" of reality; some commentators claim that it is an essentially non-visualisable theory. The problem is whether a theory that lacks causality and visualisability can still in some sense be intelligible, i.e. give us understanding of the world. The aim of this research project is to investigate different ways in which this problem might be resolved. More specifically, three options will be considered:
- our conception of intelligibility has to be adapted to the character of modern science.
- traditional criteria for intelligibility have to be maintained.
- intelligibility has to be rejected as an aim of science.
These three options correspond to three possible answers to the question that is the starting-point of the research project: Can quantum theory, in spite of the fact that it is a non-visualisable and acausal theory, in some sense be intelligible; that is, can it give us understanding of the world? If one gives an affirmative answer, one arrives at the first option, implying that traditional conceptions of intelligibility must be abandoned and a new one formulated. It is one of the main objectives of the present research project to explore the viability of this option. Specific research questions: (1a) Which new ideas of intelligibility were envisaged by physicists in the light of the quantum theory? (1b) Do recent developments in philosophy of science suggest new conceptions of intelligibility?
If one gives a negative answer, one is naturally led to the conclusion that theories which do not meet traditional criteria for intelligibility are philosophically inadequate and should eventually be replaced by better theories. Specific research questions: (2a) What are the presuppositions and claims of the defenders of the traditional conception of intelligibility, both in physics and in philosophy? (2b) What are the philosophical merits of this position?
A third option is to reject the idea of intelligibility as a fundamental aim of science. Its most recent defence is by Bas C. van Fraassen, who presents an analysis of explanation as a pragmatic virtue. Specific research questions: (3a) What is the import of Van Fraassen's arguments? (3b) Is his view valuable for scientists?
The aim of the project is to examine the three options concerning the question of intelligibility, by answering the given research questions. The final goal is to construct an adequate conception of intelligibility in relation to science, which is satisfactory from both the philosophical and the scientific point of view.
- Project number NWO: 225-95-011
- Project leader: Dr. Henk W. de Regt
- Project duration: 1996-2000
- Host: Prof. Dr. Dennis B.G.J. Dieks
See Theses for completed PhD and Master projects.