Fourth Annual Distinguished Lecture: P. James Peebles

The Physicists’ Philosophy of Physics

Abstract:

I will argue that physicists share an implicit but well-defined way of thinking that amounts to a  philosophy, though one that I expect is more tightly prescriptive than many discussed by real philosophers. The physicists’ philosophy differs from that of the other natural sciences by its reliance on tests of reliable predictions of theories that we think are useful approximations to our notion of reality. I will offer examples of applications of this philosophy to the small scales of quantum physics and the large scales of cosmology. Both physics pass demanding tests that establish them as useful approximations to our reality, but they are not consistent. It can be compared to Snow’s two cultures. The two cultures differ more broadly than the two physics, but they share the separating effects of different working conditions. It’s difficult to imagine that someone capable of creating a notable history of philosophy could make significant contributions to physics. It’s easier to imagine someone making key contributions to small-scale and large-scale physics, but I cannot think of anyone who managed it in the past century or two. The two cultures and two sciences might profit by closer interactions.

The lecture will be held at 5:00pm in the Schafler Auditorium (room 272), Bloomberg Center for Physics and Astronomy

(note: not the Bloomberg Student Center)