The Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh invites you to join us for our Lunch Time Talk. Attend in person at 1117 Cathedral of Learning or visit our live stream on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg.
\n\nLTT: \; \;Alfredo Vernazzani
\n\nFriday\, October 30th @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm EST
\n\nTitle: \; \;Perceptual Discrimination and Necessary Laws of Appearance
\n\nAbstract:
\nPerceptual experience varies dramatically across sensory modalities and species. Humans\, sharks\, butterflies\, and countless other animals inhabit perceptual worlds structured by radically different sensory capacities. Does this diversity imply that the ways things appear are governed entirely by contingent laws? I argue that it does not. Beneath the contingent diversity of perceptual modalities lie metaphysically necessary laws governing appearance itself. I ground this claim in the operations of perceptual discrimination. First\, I argue that the exercise of perceptual discrimination capacities is necessary for things to appear. I then advance three necessary laws of appearance grounded in those operations. These laws identify aspects of appearance that remain invariant across differences in sensory modality and species\, distinguishing necessary constraints from the contingent forms appearance takes in particular perceptual systems. I illustrate this proposal by turning to non-human perception\, focusing on sharks&rsquo\; and rays&rsquo\; electroception. This case shows how the proposed laws can apply to sensory modalities radically alien to human experience while not depending on any particular sensory mechanism. I conclude by situating this account within the recent debate over whether all laws of appearance are contingent.
\nThis talk will also be available live streamed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg.
ORGANIZER;CN=Edouard Machery: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261027T201526Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261110T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261110T130000 SUMMARY:Michel Janssen - Einstein gaining a foothold in the quantum world\, 1905–1925 UID:20261027T201527Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@fe80:0:0:0:140a:43ff:fe5d:b2f3%3 TZID:America/New_York LOCATION: University of Pittsburgh\, 4200 Fifth Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, United States\, 15260 DESCRIPTION:The Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh invites you to join us for our Lunch Time Talk. Attend in person at 1117 Cathedral of Learning or visit our live stream on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg.
\n\nLTT: \; \;Michel Janssen
\n\nTuesday\, November 10th @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm EST
\n\nTitle: \; \;Einstein gaining a foothold in the quantum world\, 1905&ndash\;1925
\n\nAbstract:
\nIn his early work on quantum theory\, Einstein found a number of constraints on a new theory of radiation that would account for various phenomena classical theory could not account for. He found most of these constraints by making sure the thermal behavior of radiation was in accordance with general results in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. Similar considerations led him to his quantum theory of the ideal gas\, which helped pave the way for Schrö\;dinger&rsquo\;s wave mechanics.
\nThis talk will also be available YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg.
ORGANIZER;CN=Edouard Machery: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20261027T201526Z DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261117T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261117T130000 SUMMARY:Alexander Paseau - Is Historical Mathematics Largely True? UID:20261027T201528Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@fe80:0:0:0:140a:43ff:fe5d:b2f3%3 TZID:America/New_York LOCATION: University of Pittsburgh\, 4200 Fifth Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, United States\, 15260 DESCRIPTION:The Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh invites you to join us for our Lunch Time Talk. Attend in person at 1117 Cathedral of Learning or visit our live stream on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg.
\n\nLTT: \; \;Alexander Paseau
\n\nTuesday\, November 17th @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm EST
\n\nTitle: \; \;Is Historical Mathematics Largely True?
\n\nAbstract:
\nHistorical mathematics is widely regarded as a repository of truths. It would seem unusually sceptical to deny that\, say\, ancient mathematical cultures established many truths about numbers and shapes\, such as Pythagoras&rsquo\; Theorem or instances of it for specific right-angled triangles.
\nMy talk will list some of the ways in which this assumption might be tested. I&rsquo\;ll then focus on two case studies\, both involving extra-mathematical beliefs that apparently &lsquo\;infect&rsquo\;\, or in some way threaten\, the truth of older mathematics. The first concerns 19th-century matricial algebra and the second 18th-century geometry.
\nThis talk will also be available live streamed on:
\nYouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg.
ORGANIZER;CN=Edouard Machery: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR