Dear all
Today’s CamPoS seminar is given by Dr Katie Robertson
<https://katierobertsonphilosophy.wordpress.com/
<https://katierobertsonphilosophy.wordpress.com/>>, Research Fellow on the
FraMEPhys
<https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/ptr/departments/philosophy/research/projects/framephys/index.aspx>
project at the University of Birmingham. Details as follows:
Time: 1-2:30pm
Place: Seminar Room 2, Department of History and Philosophy of Science (Free
School Lane, CB2 3RH)
Title: Time-asymmetry in thermal physics
Abstract: The second law of thermodynamics has a lot to answer for. Reichenbach
claims it was responsible for the direction of time. Atkins claims that ‘the
second law is one of the all-time great laws of science, for it illuminates why
anything – anything from the cooling of hot matter to the formulation of a
thought – happens at all’. And Hawking claims it is a tautology.
In this talk, I discuss the different concepts of time-asymmetry in
thermal physics and claim that the second law has less bite than the authors
above suggest. Instead of an arrow of time, it is more appropriate to say, as
Uffink suggests, that the second law describes the ravages of time. Instead of
considering thermodynamics to be the source of the arrow of time, I claim that
statistical mechanics is the theory we should focus on. By looking at a
particular framework advocated by Zwanzig, Zeh and Wallace, I discuss how the
time-asymmetry in statistical mechanics arises out of the underlying
time-symmetric dynamics.
Full information about the talk is here:
http://talks.cam.ac.uk/talk/index/111181
<http://talks.cam.ac.uk/talk/index/111181>
The term card for Michaelmas 2018 is available at
https://www.hps.cam.ac.uk/news-events/seminars-reading-groups/campos
<https://www.hps.cam.ac.uk/news-events/seminars-reading-groups/campos>
You can also follow us at https://twitter.com/CamPhilSci
<https://twitter.com/CamPhilSci>
All are welcome.
All the best
Matt
Dr Matt Farr • Teaching Associate in Philosophy of Science
University of Cambridge • Department of History & Philosophy of Science
Free School Lane | Cambridge | CB2 3RH
w mattfarr.co.uk <http://www.mattfarr.co.uk/> | e [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]> | t 01223334559
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