This 3-day workshop examines the foundational significance of information theory and statistical mechanics for understanding entropy\, probability\, and physical information. The workshop will bring together philosophers of physics\, physicists\, and computer scientists to explore entropy and information as physically grounded notions. Key topics that will be discussed include the relationship between entropy and information\, the role of correlations and entanglement in defining physical states\, and the interpretation of entanglement entropy as physical information. \;
\nThe list of invited speakers as well as the full programme will be circulated soon.
\nWe invite submissions of abstracts for two contributed talks at the workshop (see the PhilEvents CFP link).
\nThis workshop is generously supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) through a Scientific Exchange grant (grant number IZSEZ0_241781).
\nFor information and to register\, please contact: Niccolò\; Covoni (niccolo.covoni@usi.ch) or Lorenzo Lorenzetti (lorenzo.lorenzetti@usi.ch)
ORGANIZER;CN=Lorenzo Lorenzetti;CN="Niccolò Covoni";CN=Joshua Babic: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260509T121740Z DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Shanghai:20260523T090000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Shanghai:20260524T170000 SUMMARY:Shanghai-Hong Kong Philosophy of Science Workshop 2 UID:20260515T173749Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-6b96c54f56-bljdq TZID:Asia/Shanghai LOCATION:Fudan University\, Shanghai\, China ORGANIZER;CN=Yafeng Shan;CN=Chuang Liu: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260509T121740Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260525T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260527T170000 SUMMARY:11th Annual Conference of the Society for the Metaphysics of Science UID:20260515T173750Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-6b96c54f56-bljdq TZID:America/Toronto LOCATION:40 St George St\, Toronto\, Canada\, M5S 2E4 ORGANIZER;CN=Michael E. Miller;CN=Jessica M. Wilson;CN=Claudio Calosi: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260509T121740Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Sofia:20260601T060000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Sofia:20260601T060000 SUMMARY:Eighth Spacetime Conference UID:20260515T173751Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-6b96c54f56-bljdq TZID:Europe/Sofia LOCATION:Hotel Sandy Beach\, Albena\, Bulgaria\, 9620 DESCRIPTION:The Eighth Spacetime Conference\, organized by Minkowski Institute (Montreal)\, will be held in Hotel Sandy Beach in Albena (near Varna)\, Bulgaria\, which is a guarded resort - arguably the best green\, family-friendly Black Sea resort. \;
\nThe Scientific Organizing Committee invites papers from physicists\, mathematicians and philosophers of physics on any topic related to the nature and ontology of spacetime. \; There will be a number of special sessions\, including on "What is the quantum object (the electron\, for example) in spacetime?"
\nExtended abstracts of between one and two pages should be emailed to 2026conference@minkowskiinstitute.com by June 1\, 2026. Submissions will be reviewed and notification of acceptance will be sent by June 15\, 2026.
\nScientific Organizing Committee:
\nValia Allori (University of Bergamo)
\nJames Binkoski (Dartmouth College)
\nCarolyn Brighouse (Occidental College\, Los Angeles)
\nKaren Crowther (University of Oslo)
\nErik Curiel (University of Bonn)
\nRobert Geroch (University of Chicago)
\nJohn B. Manchak (University of California\, Irvine)
\nVesselin Petkov (Minkowski Institute\, Montreal)
\nJames Read (University of Oxford)
\nCarlo Rovelli (Centre de Physique Thé\;orique de Luminy\, Marseille\, France)
\nAnguel Stefanov (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences)
ORGANIZER;CN=Vesselin Petkov: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260509T121740Z DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Nicosia:20260615T120000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Nicosia:20260617T170000 SUMMARY:Mathematical Rigour and Physics UID:20260515T173752Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-6b96c54f56-bljdq TZID:Asia/Nicosia LOCATION:Bristol\, United Kingdom DESCRIPTION:The boundary between mathematics and physics has often been a source of tension. This tension frequently revolves around a central notion: mathematical rigour. Although the concept has been discussed in history\, philosophy\, and mathematics itself\, there has been relatively little discussion of its relationship to physics. Physics is often considered unrigorous\; however\, given that there is no single agreed-upon notion of rigour even within mathematics\, it becomes unclear exactly why physics is regarded as unrigorous\, and whether it should be.
\n\; This interdisciplinary workshop will bring together researchers from various fields to discuss both descriptive and normative notions of rigour in physics\, as well as the influence of this topic on the concept of rigour in mathematics. The central\, but non-exhaustive questions of the workshop will include the following:
\nKeynote Speakers: \;
\nIn addition to our invited speakers\, there will be a number of contributed talks. Please send anonymised abstracts (max 500 words) for a 1 hour (45 min + 15 Q&\;A) presentation by email attachment to rami.jreige@bristol.ac.uk with subject line "Mathematical Rigour and Physics Workshop Submission" by March 15th\, 2026. All details can be found on our website.
ORGANIZER;CN=Rami Jreige;CN=Karim Thebault;CN=Richard Pettigrew: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260509T121740Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20260616T113000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20260617T170000 SUMMARY:Entity Realism Beyond Manipulation UID:20260515T173753Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-6b96c54f56-bljdq TZID:Europe/Zurich LOCATION:Hochschulstrasse 4\, Bern\, Switzerland\, 3012 DESCRIPTION:We are pleased to share the program and registration details for the workshop Entity Realism Beyond Manipulation. Participation (including lunch and refreshments) is free of charge\, but we ask you to register \;by 7 June 2026 \;by sending your name and affiliation to \;mahdi.khalili@unibe.ch. The program is as follows:
\nTuesday\, June 16
11.30 &ndash\; 11.45 \;Welcome Address
11.45 &ndash\; 12.30 \;Katherine Morrow\, University of Oslo \;&mdash\; \;Against Selective Antirealism About Ecological Entities
\n12.30 &ndash\; 14.00 \; Lunch Break
\n14.00 &ndash\; 14.45 \;Kenneth Aizawa\, Rutgers University Newark \;&mdash\; \;Compositional Abduction and Entity Realism
\n14.45 &ndash\; 15.30 \;Mahdi Khalili\, University of Bern \;&mdash\; \;Entity Realism about Black Holes
\n15.30 &ndash\; 16.00 \; \; \; Coffee Break
\n16.00 &ndash\; 16.45 \;Gauvain Leconte-Chevillard\, University of Namur \;&mdash\; \;No Manipulation\, No Entities? The Ontological Commitment of Natural \;Experiments in Astrophysics and Cosmology
\n16.45 &ndash\; 18.00 \;Mauricio Suá\;rez\, Complutense University of Madrid \;&mdash\; \;Deflating Experimental Realism in Astrophysics
\n19.00 &ndash\; 22.00 \; Workshop Dinner \;
\nWednesday\, June 17
\n11.00 &ndash\; 11.45 \; \;Thijs Latten\, Delft University of Technology \;&mdash\; \;An Engineering Perspective on Quantum State Realism: A Case Study in \;Expanding Causal Realism
\n11.45 &ndash\; 12.30 \;Ruey-Lin Chen\, National Chung Cheng University &\; \;Jonathan Hricko\, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University \;&mdash\; \;Real Entities and Real Causal Relationships: The Cases of the Transgenic and \;Gene Knockout/Knock-In Methods
\n12.30 &ndash\; 14.00 \; \; \; Lunch Break
\n14.00 &ndash\; 14.45 \;Matthias Egg\, University of Bern \;&mdash\; \;Effective Entity Realism
\n14.45 &ndash\; 16.00 \;Nora Boyd \;(online)\, Siena University \;&mdash\; \;How to Get in Touch With Distant Reality: The Causal Production of Empirical Data
\n16.00 &ndash\; 16.30 \; \; Coffee Break
\n16.30 &ndash\; 17.15 Panel Discussion
\n17.15 &ndash\; 17.30 \; \; \; Closing Remarks
\n\nThis conference is part of the project Extending the Scope of Causal Realism\, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation. \;
ORGANIZER;CN=Mahdi Khalili;CN=Matthias Egg;CN=Frederick Britt: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260509T121740Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260720T110000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260720T170000 SUMMARY:Workshop on Emily Adlam’s “Saving Science from Quantum Mechanics” UID:20260515T173754Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-6b96c54f56-bljdq TZID:Europe/London LOCATION:University of Leeds\, Leeds\, United Kingdom DESCRIPTION:Schedule:
\n11.00 &ndash\; 11.10 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Welcome &ndash\; Alastair Wilson
\n11.10 &ndash\; 12.10 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; &ldquo\;Ways of Closing the Circle&rdquo\; &ndash\; Margherita Moro and Alastair Wilson
\n12.10 &ndash\; 13.30 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Lunch
\n13.30 &ndash\; 14.30 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Comments on Adlam &ndash\; Lina Jansson
\n14.30 &ndash\; 15.30 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; &ldquo\;Epistemic Solutions for Epistemic Problems?&rdquo\; &ndash\; Lucy Mason
\n15.30 &ndash\; 16.00 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Break
\n16.00 &ndash\; 17.00 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; &ldquo\;Future directions in Epistemology of QM&rdquo\; &ndash\; Emily Adlam
\n17.00 &ndash\; 18.30 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; Drinks outside Botany House
\n18.30 \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \; \;Dinner
ORGANIZER;CN=Margherita Moro;CN=Alastair Wilson: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260509T121740Z DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Singapore:20260727T090000 DTEND;TZID=Asia/Singapore:20260728T170000 SUMMARY:2026 Foundations of Thermodynamics Workshop: Finding Balance UID:20260515T173755Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-6b96c54f56-bljdq TZID:Asia/Singapore LOCATION:Jurong Town\, Singapore DESCRIPTION:Organized by NTU's Foundations of Thermodynamics Group\, and co-organized with Miguel Ohnesorge (Boston University)\, the aim of the second Foundations of Thermodynamics Workshop is to seek and provide a conceptual history of equilibrium and static reasoning. Bringing together historians and philosophers of science\, we hope to have a clearer picture of the genealogy of equilibrium and static reasoning\, and its role in scientific theorizing. By tracing the idea from Archimedean mechanics\, to Newton and the post-Newtonians\, classical thermodynamics\, quantum mechanics\, general relativity\, contemporary quantum and gravitational physics\, biology\, and economics\, we hope to provide a deeper understanding of this distinctive mode of reasoning and explanation as it changes shape and texture throughout the history of science. \;
\nThose interested are invited to register for the workshop early\, as there are limited seats and catering available. \;The workshop follows a week of events to do with philosophy of science\, notably the Asian Philosophy of Science Association's inaugural meeting. For more information on registration\, the APSA conference\, and other satellite events\, please visit: \;https://www.ntu.edu.sg/soh/news-events/conferences/apsa-2026. \;
ORGANIZER;CN=Eugene Y. S. Chua;CN=Miguel Ohnesorge: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260509T121740Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Warsaw:20260828T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Warsaw:20260828T103000 SUMMARY:'Here and There:' Food\, Safety and Community in Contemporary Performance Art 「あちらとこちら」：現代パフォーマンス・アートにおける食、安全、そしてコミュニティ UID:20260515T173756Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-6b96c54f56-bljdq TZID:Europe/Warsaw LOCATION:Poznań\, Poland DESCRIPTION:https://coolhunting.com/link-about-it/does-this-soup-taste-ambivalent/
\nhttps://dajf.org.uk/event/the-art-of-soup-a-taste-of-fukushima
\nhttps://ocula.com/magazine/conversations/ei-arakawa-frieze-presentation/
\nhttps://nomadit.co.uk/conference/eajs2026/paper/101689
\nhttps://research.berkeley.edu/surf-fellows/jiaqian-zhu/
\nhttps://nomadit.co.uk/conference/eajs2026/pp/101689
\nPaper short abstract In the wake of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami\, artists attempt to explore ways to present the motif of &ldquo\;3/11&rdquo\; beyond geographic confinement&mdash\;beyond Japan. Given restricted access to the nuclear zone\, how do artists respond to &ldquo\;3/11&rdquo\; without direct physical proximity to Fukushima? Paper long abstract
\nIn the wake of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami\, artists attempt to explore ways to present the motif of &ldquo\;3/11&rdquo\; beyond geographic confinement&mdash\;beyond Japan. Given restricted access to the nuclear zone\, how do artists respond to &ldquo\;3/11&rdquo\; without direct physical proximity to Fukushima? How do overseas Japanese artists represent what took place back in their homeland? How do people outside Japan gain the access to experience and respond to &ldquo\;3/11&rdquo\;? To grapple with this representational dilemma of &ldquo\;here and there\,&rdquo\; this paper looks at the performance art of the contemporary Japanese artist Ei Arakawa&mdash\;Does This Soup Taste Ambivalent? (2014). In this conceptual project\, he attempted to mediate a geographic gap between New York (where he works) and Fukushima (where he comes from). He also intended to reach a geographical balance between Fukushima and the international audience by bringing his family to Frieze London. In dialogue with Does This Soup Taste Ambivalent?\, this paper brings comparative examples of Rirkrit Tiravanija&rsquo\;s installation Untitled (Free/Still) (2007) and the socially engaged art piece Conflict Kitchen (2010). This paper attempts to extend the metaphor of a geographic boundary to invisible yet crucial boundaries among people\, and to further spatialize what Nicolas Bourriaud regards as relational aesthetics. Visual representations of &ldquo\;here and there&rdquo\; can thus be thematically translated into a rendering of boundaries between artists and spectators/participants\, between social environment and human beings and between different ethnic groups. Moreover\, this paper examines the instrumental role of food in performance art. With the same incorporation of food\, these works take advantage of the taste to unite people from different backgrounds\, and to provide a corporeal medium to raise concerns for nuclear radiation and safety. The remediation of food\, in art practice and social media\, further produces a micro-social and micro-political narrative to think of food safety\, human safety\, and community conflicts.
\nAbstract in Japanese (if needed): 「あちらとこちら」：現代パフォーマンス・アートにおける食、安全、そしてコミュニティ 要旨では、2011年の東日本大震災と津波のあと、アーティストたちが 「3/11」を日本の外でどう表現するか を考える研究だと説明されています。特に、福島に直接近づけない状況で、アーティストはどう反応するのか、海外にいる日本人アーティストは故郷で起きたことをどう表すのか、日本の外にいる人はどうやってその出来事に触れ、応答するのか、という問いが立てられています。中心事例として扱われるのは、Ei Arakawa の Does This Soup Taste Ambivalent? (2014) です。要旨によれば、この作品は ニューヨークと福島の地理的な隔たりを媒介しようとした企画として読まれています。比較される例として、Rirkrit Tiravanija の Untitled (Free/Still) (2007) と、社会参加型アートの Conflict Kitchen (2010) も挙げられています。福島の出来事を、食べ物を使ったアートで世界の人にどう伝えるかを考える発表です。 そして、食べ物は人をつなぐだけでなく、安全や不安、社会の対立について考えさせる力を持つ、というのがポイントです。
ORGANIZER: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260509T121740Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Sofia:20260914T090000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Sofia:20260917T170000 SUMMARY:Eighth Spacetime Conference UID:20260515T173757Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-6b96c54f56-bljdq TZID:Europe/Sofia LOCATION:Hotel Sandy Beach\, Albena\, Bulgaria\, 9620 DESCRIPTION:The Eighth Spacetime Conference\, organized by Minkowski Institute (Montreal)\, will be held in Hotel Sandy Beach in Albena (near Varna)\, Bulgaria\, which is a guarded resort - arguably the best green\, family-friendly Black Sea resort. \;
\nThe Scientific Organizing Committee invites papers from physicists\, mathematicians and philosophers of physics on any topic related to the nature and ontology of spacetime. \; There will be a number of special sessions\, including on "What is the quantum object (the electron\, for example) in spacetime?"
\nExtended abstracts of between one and two pages should be emailed to 2026conference@minkowskiinstitute.com by June 1\, 2026. Submissions will be reviewed and notification of acceptance will be sent by June 15\, 2026.
\nScientific Organizing Committee:
\nValia Allori (University of Bergamo)
\nJames Binkoski (Dartmouth College)
\nCarolyn Brighouse (Occidental College\, Los Angeles)
\nKaren Crowther (University of Oslo)
\nErik Curiel (University of Bonn)
\nRobert Geroch (University of Chicago)
\nJohn B. Manchak (University of California\, Irvine)
\nVesselin Petkov (Minkowski Institute\, Montreal)
\nJames Read (University of Oxford)
\nCarlo Rovelli (Centre de Physique Thé\;orique de Luminy\, Marseille\, France)
\nAnguel Stefanov (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences)
\n ORGANIZER;CN=Vesselin Petkov: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260509T121740Z DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260914T100000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260915T170000 SUMMARY:New Directions in Law-Based Explanations in the Sciences UID:20260515T173758Z-iCalPlugin-Grails@philevents-web-6b96c54f56-bljdq TZID:Europe/London LOCATION:Lakatos Building\, London\, United Kingdom DESCRIPTION:When we look at current research across the natural and social sciences dealing with explanations of phenomena in their respective fields\, the word &lsquo\;explanation&rsquo\; is often modified with an adjective: causal\, non-causal\, mechanistic\, nomological/law-based\, topological\, mathematical\, and narrative are some of the non-mutually-exclusive modifiers that one may encounter. It is generally accepted that fields such as physics rely more on laws for their explanatory practices than disciplines such as cell biology\, which are\, for the most part\, concerned with mechanistic explanations\, for example. In the philosophy of science\, particularly since the advent of the New Mechanism literature in the 1990s\, barring some exceptions\, there has been relatively little sustained work on the pragmatic side of law-based explanations as opposed to other explanatory modalities\, and the interest that law-based explanations have garnered has mostly focused on the metaphysics of laws. This workshop aims to bring the philosophy of law-based explanations\, with particular attention to their pragmatic dimensions\, back into focus. Moreover\, while being historically informed\, the hope is to discuss new directions within this strand of the philosophy of explanation. Some questions for consideration could include (in no particular order):
\nConfirmed Speakers:
\nCall for Papers: \;The legacy of M. D. Stafleu
\nJournal: \;Philosophia Reformata \;(www.brill.com/phir)
\nGuest editors: Richard Gunton (Queen Mary University of London) and Gerrit Glas (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
\nDeadline: Papers (5\,000&ndash\;9\,000 words) may be submitted through the journal&rsquo\;s website.
\nMarinus Dirk (Dick) Stafleu (1937&ndash\;2024) wrote extensively on philosophy of physics\, and encyclopedically on the sciences at large. \;Drawing on and critiquing the work of Herman Dooyeweerd\, he made important contributions to a Reformational philosophy of science reaching from mathematics to social and political sciences. \;However\, since his passing in November 2024\, Stafleu's legacy appears largely limited to his 24 papers in Philosophia Reformata\, 5 papers in other peer-reviewed journals\, and some 15 books in English and Dutch\, mostly self-published on his own website (although 5 were published in print by various minor publishing houses).
\nWe invite scholars who have drawn on any of Stafleu's work to contribute to a special issue that will clarify and situate his contributions in the philosophical foundations of physics and of the sciences more broadly. \;Topics might include\, for example:
\nFor more information\, please contact the editorial assistant\, Mathanja Berger: \;mathanja@bergeracademicediting.nl.
\n\nInstructions to Authors: \; https://brill.com/fileasset/downloads_products/Author_Instructions/PHIR.pdf
ORGANIZER: METHOD:PUBLISH END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR