Time and Relativity Symposium

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Time and Relativity Symposium

October 25–27, 2007  

TIME Symposium—Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), University of Minnesota

Co-sponsored by: Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science, Department of Philosophy, Program in History of Science and Technology

Organizers:
Michel Janssen (History of Science, Technology and Medicine Program, Department of Physics, and Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science)   
Antigone Nounou (Department of Philosophy, and Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science)

Topic: Symposium speakers will address issues raised by Harvey R Brown’s Physical Relativity. Space-Time Structure from a Dynamical Perspective (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), co-winner of the 2006 Lakatos Award, awarded annually by the London School of Economics and Political Science for outstanding contributions to the philosophy of science. From the citation: “Brown’s book develops a critical account of the way that Einstein formulated his special theory of relativity, concentrating on a tension between its kinematical and dynamical aspects. It sheds new light on central issues such as the alleged conventionality of simultaneity and the relationships between the special and the general theory of relativity.”

Thursday, October 25

4:00–5:30 pm.      “Thursdays at Four”-series: What Einstein did to time
                             Oliver Pooley (Oxford) and Michel Janssen (Minnesota)

5:30–7:30 pm        Welcoming dinner

7:30–8:30 pm        Plenary talk: Harvey Brown (Oxford/Perimeter)
                              Kinematics Versus Dynamics: Putting Einstein's 1905 Relativity Paper in Historical Context.

Friday, October 26

9:30–10:15 am       Continental Breakfast

10:15–10:30 am      Introduction: Ann Waltner (IAS, Minnesota)

10:30 am–1:00 pm  Session 1: Kinematics vs. dynamics in special relativity

            Chair: Clayton Gearhart (St. Johns)

10:30–11:10 am        Michel Janssen (Minnesota)
                                  Drawing the line between kinematics and dynamics in special relativity

11:10–11:50 am        Oliver Pooley (Oxford)
                                  A glorious non-entity ... revisited

11:50 am–12:10 pm   Coffee

12:10–12:20 pm         Harvey Brown (Oxford/Perimeter), commentator

12:20–1:00 pm           Discussion

1:00–3:00 pm             Lunch

3:00–3:30 pm             Coffee

3:30–6:00 pm      Session 2: Principle theories vs. constructive theories

            Chair: Antigone Nounou (Minnesota)

3:30–4:10 pm            Amit Hagar (Indiana)
                                 The Einstein-Swann correspondence and the constructive approach to the Special Theory of Relativity

4:50–5:10 pm            Coffee

5:10–5:20 pm            Chris Smeenk (Western Ontario), commentator

5:20–6:00 pm            Discussion

Saturday, October 27

9:00–10:00 am           Continental Breakfast

10:00 am–12:30 pm   Session 3: Clocks in relativity

            Chair: Roger Stuewer (Minnesota)

10:00–10:40 am         Robert Rynasiewicz (Johns Hopkins) Simultaneity, convention, reference and dynamics

10:40–11:20 am         Richard Arthur (McMaster University) Time, inertia, and the Relativity Principle

11:20–11:40 am         Coffee

11:40–11:50 am         Carl Hoefer (Barcelona), commentator

11:50 am–12:30 pm   Discussion

12:30–2:00 pm           Lunch

2:00–4:30 pm      Session 4: The “Harvey Brown Pedagogy”

            Chair: Michel Janssen (Minnesota)

2:00–2:40 pm            Antigone Nounou (Minnesota)
                                 The Principle/Constructive Theory distinction in Quantum Field Theories

2:40–3:20 pm            Katherine Brading (Notre Dame)
                                  What’s in a theory? Hilbert and the “Harvey Brown pedagogy”.

3:20–3:40 pm            Coffee

3:40–3:50 pm            John Norton (Pittsburgh), commentator

3:50–4:30 pm            Discussion

4:30–5:30 pm            General Discussion

5:30–6:30 pm            Free time

6:30–9:30 pm           Cocktails and farewell dinner

Participants in addition to speakers, commentators, and chair persons: Lee Gohlike (Outing Lodge/Seven Pines), Geoffrey Hellman (Philosophy, Minnesota), Serge Rudaz (Physics, Minnesota), Alan Shapiro (History of Science, Technology and Medicine, Minnesota), Brian Woodcock (Philosophy, Carleton College).

For questions, please contact: Michel Janssen janss011@umn.edu or Antigone Nounou amnounou@umn.edu

Plenary Talk: 275 Nicholson, 216 Pillsbury Drive SE, http://www1.umn.edu/twincities/maps/NichH/

Sessions 1, 3, & 4: 125 Nolte Center, 315 Pillsbury Drive SE,http://www1.umn.edu/twincities/maps/NCCE/

Session 2:131 Tate Lab of Physics, 116 Church St. SE, http://www1.umn.edu/twincities/maps/Phys/Phys-map.html

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