Philosophy of Dark Energy Workshop
The UPAC research group and COSMO-MASTER project team are organising an afternoon workshop about the Philosophy of Dark Energy, on Monday the 13th of January 2025. All physicists, philosophers, and any others who are interested are welcome to attend.
In case of any questions, please contact n.c.m.martens@uu.nl
Schedule
13:00 - 13:30 | Coffee |
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13:30 - 14:30 | Elisa Chisari (Utrecht University) tbatba
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14:30 - 15:30 | Niels Martens (Utrecht University & BHI Harvard) Dark Energy: Spacetime or Matter?The titular Lambda in our standard model of cosmology, ΛCDM, parametrises the accelerated expansion of our universe. Although the standard model treats it simply as a cosmological constant, the physical nature underlying this parameter—sometimes referred to as the intrinsic energy of spacetime—is unclear, with theorists and experimentalists considering a large variety of dynamical matter alternatives as well as modified gravity/spacetime alternatives. This talk will consider this situation in the context of the orthodox conceptual dichotomy between spacetime and matter, by focusing on the following aspects and connections with various philosophical debates:
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15:30 - 16:00 | Coffee Break |
16:00 - 17:00 | Antonio Ferreiro, Alex Fleuren & Niels Martens (Utrecht University) Scalar fields: Spacetime or Matter?In this paper we analyse scalar-tensor theories—specific instances of which include mainstream inflation and dark energy models—in light of the spacetime-matter dichotomy. We argue that it is difficult to categorise the scalar fields as either a pure aspect of the spacetime structure or a pure form of matter, for instance by focusing on the Jordan vs Einstein frames of these theories. We introduce and partially evaluate the various interpretational options available, such as functionalism, moving to a reduced theory, and breaking down the spacetime-matter dichotomy (e.g. conventionalism).
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17:00 - 18:00 | Erik Curiel (University of Bonn, MCMP LMU Munich & BHI Harvard) Dark Energy: Spacetime or Matter?tba
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18:30 | Dinner (optional) |