Are space and time really necessary?

The Warsaw University of Technology has published a short feature on the research project "A Machian Framework for Quantum Physics" and its investigation into the relational foundations of physics. Read the article (in Polish) here.continue reading →

Call for Applications: Postdoctoral Researcher in Philosophy of Physics

  • Posted on 18 April 2025
  • /Under Grant
The Department of Philosophy and Ethics in Administration at Warsaw University of Technology invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher (assistant professor) position within the research project "A Machian Framework for Quantum Physics," led by Dr. hab. Antonio Vassallo and funded by the National Science Center (OPUS-25 grant). Position Details: Duration: 30 months, full-time (40 hours/week) Location: Warsaw, Poland About the Project: The project applies the theoretical framework of Pure Shape Dynamics and a metaphysics of self-subsisting structures to develop a new approach to understanding quantum physics. The goal is to investigate how quantum…continue reading →

Antonio Vassallo awarded NCN OPUS grant for research on the foundations of quantum physics

We are pleased to announce that Dr. hab. Antonio Vassallo has been awarded a prestigious OPUS grant from the National Science Centre (NCN) for his research project "A Machian Framework for Quantum Physics" (grant no. 2023/49/B/HS1/01091). The project, funded with 1,237,080 PLN, will run for three years and aims to explore how quantum phenomena and spacetime might emerge from deeper, relational structures, using tools from physics and metaphysics.continue reading →
Ethics and AI Conference

Ethics and AI Conference

The Philosophy of Computing Group and the Laboratory of the New Ethos were co-organisers of the Ethics & AI, Philosophy in Informatics IX & 19th ArgDiaP Joint Conference, held at PW from 23–25 September, 2024.continue reading →

NCN Grant »Conceptual Structure of Natural Numbers«

  • Posted on 6 April 2022
  • /Under Grant
The Philosophy of Computing group is glad to announce the implementation of the grant “Conceptual structure of natural numbers. Modeling numerical cognition by conceptual spaces”. NCN OPUS 21 grant ref. 2021/41/B/HS1/01023, 2022-2025. PI: dr Paula Quinon. Funding: PLN 234,606.–continue reading →
A book on Topo-Ontology was published

A book on Topo-Ontology was published

  • Posted on 6 April 2022
  • /Under News
A book titled Part and Whole: Towards Topo-Ontology (in Polish: Część i całość. W stronę topoontologii) by Bartłomiej Skowron was published in December 2021. The book is available in open access. A PDF can be found here. In this book, the Author reviewed the applications of topology in ontology. He called ontology using topological-spatial structures Topological Ontology or Topo-Ontology for short. When philosophical thinking about spatial qualities (Topo-Ontology is based on them) went beyond the limits of ontology, he spoke of Topo-Philosophy. He also presented dozens of ideas from many philosophers (including Thom,…continue reading →

Warsaw Spacetime Colloquium (online) – New term program

  • Posted on 9 February 2022
  • /Under News
The Philosophy of Physics Group is happy to announce the program of the Warsaw Spacetime Colloquium for the upcoming term: 25 February (17:00-19:00 CET) – John Norton (University of Pittsburgh) – "Eternal Inflation: When Probabilities Fail." 11 March (17:00-19:00 CET) – Claudio Calosi (University of Geneva) – "Out of All the Indifferences, Into One Thing: Wavefunction Monism." 25 March (17:00-19:00 CET) – Samuel Fletcher (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities) - "What Gravitational Waves Really Teach Us about Energy." 8 April (17:00-19:00 CEST) – Nick Huggett (University of Illinois at Chicago) – "Gravity Meets…continue reading →

Warsaw Spacetime Colloquium: Richard Dawid (21 January on Zoom)

  • Posted on 17 January 2022
  • /Under News
On Friday, 21 January, Richard Dawid (Stockholm University) will give a talk titled "Final but Incomplete - What String Theory May Suggest for 21st Century Physics" (abstract below). The meeting will be online on Zoom (17:00-19:00 CET). If you have not registered yet, you can do so here. You can address any inquiry to antonio.vassallo@pw.edu.pl. ABSTRACT String theory has not come close to a complete formulation after half a century of intense research. On the other hand, a number of features of the theory suggest that the theory, once completed, may be a…continue reading →

Warsaw Spacetime Colloquium: Elise Crull (7 January on Zoom)

  • Posted on 3 January 2022
  • /Under News
On Friday, 7 January, Elise Crull (City University of New York) will give a talk titled "You're a Good Man, Harvey Brown: Quantum Rods & Clocks from Decoherence" (abstract below). The meeting will be online on Zoom (17:00-19:00 CET). If you have not registered yet, you can do so here. You can address any inquiry to antonio.vassallo@pw.edu.pl. ABSTRACT Harvey Brown's 2005 book Physical Relativity calls for the development of a constructive-theoretic (as opposed to principle-theoretic) interpretation of relativity: in short, for a quantum-dynamical description of rods and clocks. Significant issues, however, stand in…continue reading →

Warsaw Spacetime Colloquium: Alastair Wilson (17 December on Zoom)

  • Posted on 13 December 2021
  • /Under News
On Friday, 17 December, Alastair Wilson (University of Birmingham) will give a talk titled "Fundamentality and Levels in Everettian Quantum Mechanics" (abstract below). The meeting will take place online on Zoom (17:00-19:00 CET). If you have not registered yet, you can do so here. You can address any inquiry to antonio.vassallo@pw.edu.pl. ABSTRACT Distinctions in fundamentality between different levels of description are central to the viability of contemporary decoherence-based Everettian quantum mechanics (EQM). This approach to quantum theory characteristically combines a determinate fundamental reality (one universal wavefunction) with an indeterminate emergent reality (multiple decoherent worlds). In this talk I explore…continue reading →