Philosophy of Physics Seminar (Thursday - Week 5, TT24)

Abstract: What if we could remove and replace the topological underpinnings of our spacetime theories just as easily as we can switch between different coordinate systems (or different axiomatizations or geometric framings)? In this talk I will show that this is, in fact, possible using the newly developed ISE Method of topological redescription. For example, by applying these techniques to a certain theory set on the Euclidean plane one can redescribe it as being set on a Mobius strip. And vice versa. But what are the expected benefits of this new capacity for topologically redescription? I will argue that we can expect it to yield similar benefits to those that have already resulted from our existing capacities to reframe our theories using different axiom-like laws, coordinate systems, and geometric structures. I will highlight four kinds of realized/expected benefits. Ranked from least to most controversial these are: Firstly, helping physicists with theory development; Secondly, helping philosophers (i.e., us) to better understand the epistemic process of theory development; Thirdly, helping us articulate and defend various "dynamics-first approaches" to interpreting our theories; Finally, helping us characterize the common structure which all of these alternative descriptions are jointly descriptions of. After discussing how these four benefits might apply in the context of spacetime topology, the majority of this talk will then be spent overviewing the ISE Method of topological redescription in some mathematical detail.

With speaker’s consent, talks will be recorded and published on YouTube. Our channel is:

https://www.youtube.com/c/OxfordPhilosophyofPhysics/videos