29th May 2012
Durham University Institute of Advanced Study. In the Seminar Room, Cosin's Hall, Palace Green, Durham, DH1 3RL
http://www.dur.ac.uk/evaluating.realism/
SYNOPSIS
Scientists have long debated the peculiar nature of Kirchhoff’s theory of diffraction, and in particular how it could be so successful despite being both internally inconsistent, and false in certain very significant respects. Just recently, philosophers of science have introduced this case study to their own community as a potentially serious problem for contemporary scientific realist positions (e.g. see here). In this workshop scientists and philosophers are brought together for the first time to share viewpoints, and debate what lessons can be drawn from Kirchhoff’s theory for our contemporary understanding of how science works.
SPEAKERS
o Dr Geoffrey Brooker (Oxford, Physics) (abstract)
o Prof. James Ladyman (Bristol, Philosophy) (abstract)
o Prof. Jakob Stamnes (Bergen, Physics) (abstract)
o Dr Peter Vickers (Durham, Philosophy) (abstract)
o Prof. John Worrall (LSE, Philosophy) (abstract)
o Privatdozent Ning Yan Zhu (Stuttgart, Electrical Engineering) (abstract)
SCHEDULE
8.40-9.00 Coffee
9.00-9.50 Peter Vickers Kirchhoff’s Diffraction Theory as a Problem for the Scientific Realist
9.55-10.45 Geoffrey Brooker The Single Slit: A Testbed for Investigating Diffraction
10.45-11.15 Coffee
11.15-12.05 Ning Yan Zhu “What’s genuine, shall Posterity inherit”: Gustav Kirchhoff’s treatise “On the theory of light rays” (1882)
12.10-13.00 John Worrall Rethinking the “No Miracles” Intuition
13.00-14.15 Lunch
14.15-15.05 Jakob Stamnes From Huygens’ principle via Kirchhoff’s diffraction theory to boundary diffracted waves and geometrical optics
15.10-16.00 James Ladyman
REGISTRATION
Please register for the workshop by 1st May at the latest, by sending an email to Jean Best: jean.best@durham.ac.uk. The first 15 people to register won’t have to pay anything, and will receive free coffee and tea, biscuits, and a buffet lunch, which will all be provided by the university. After that registration will cost £8.
BURSARIES
There will be a small budget to help towards the travel costs of students who wish to attend, allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Please enquire with Jean Best about this.
CONTACT
For any other queries about this workshop, please contact Peter Vickers.
