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Reposted by Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy

British Journal for the Philosophy of Science @thebjps.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

From the new issue: The Many Problems of Spacetime Emergence in Quantum Gravity – Rasmus Jaksland & Kian Salimkhani Abstract in alt text or read it here: www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/... #philsci #philsky

ABSTRACT. We argue that what is discussed in philosophy under the umbrella of spacetime emergence in fact consists of a plethora of different problems. We advocate casting such debates in terms of the emergent spatiotemporal aspects, as already happens in physics. We then argue against three ways to reject our call for specificity: the many distinct philosophical problems relating to the emergence of the various spatiotemporal aspects do not suggest any singular, overarching, or exceptional problem of spacetime emergence. We also discuss how the objections are reflected by five conceptions of spacetime and we observe that different spatiotemporal aspects are emergent in the different quantum gravity approaches, whereby investigating emergence in quantum gravity collectively is problematic. Finally, we illustrate how conducting the investigation at the level of specific spatiotemporal aspects aids philosophical inquiry.

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Reposted by Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy

British Society for the Philosophy of Science @thebsps.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

We have published an open letter to the University of Exeter Executive Board expressing our concerns about proposed redundancies. Read it here: www.thebsps.org/news/open-le...

thebsps.org

Open Letter to University of Exeter Executive Board regarding proposed redundancies

- BSPS

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Reposted by Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy

Anna Alexandrova @annaalexandrova.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Losing Exeter philosophers of science would be devastating to our field and to the international standing of U.K. universities. Please help us publicise this letter and put pressure to the Exeter execs. Their work as teachers and researchers is irreplaceable #philsci #HigherEd

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Interested in a customised master's programme with a focus on foundations and philosophy of physics? Express your interest and receive more information by filling in this quick survey. Thanks! framaforms.org/foundations-...

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Reposted by Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy

Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Both also visit the RCNP: 2 March 2026 11:00 Shelly Yiran Shi (UC San Diego/U Oxford): Why Not a Gravitational Perpetual Motion Machine? 9 March 2026 11:00 Lauren Wilson (U Exeter): Methodological Shortfall rcnp.science.ru.nl/events/collo...

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Interested in Foundations and Philosophy of Physics? International Online Information Day 5 March 2026 (11-12 and 14-18 CET) We're looking forward to meeting you! rcnp.science.ru.nl/education/fp...

Interested in foundations and philosophy of physics? Join our online open day on March 5! The master's program in Physics and Astronomy in collaboration with the Radboud Center for Natural Philosophy might be for you! “Foundations and Philosophy of Physics” (FPP) is an interdisciplinary focus option in the master's Physics and Astronomy. Students study major physical theories and their historical development from a philosophical and conceptual angle and critically reflect on physics’ assumptions, methodology, and implications. Program Overview: The curriculum integrates compulsory courses from both physics and philosophy with a specialized training in philosophy of physics proper. In the first year, students receive a broad physics training. In the second year, the specialized FPP courses take place, including introductory and advanced courses in philosophy of physics and general philosophy of science. Throughout their studies, students will attend the FPP research seminar, be part of the Radboud Center for Natural Philosophy, and get acquainted with the international philosophy of physics community. Curriculum: 30-36 EC physics courses, 18-24 EC philosophy of physics courses, 3 EC research seminar, 60 EC research internship/thesis components

International Online Information Day 5 March 2026 (11-12 and 14-18 CET): At the top of each hour, we will present an overview of the program. Afterwards, you can ask questions. The link will be published on our website. We're looking forward to meeting you!

The Radboud Center for Natural Philosophy: The RCNP integrates research in mathematical physics, philosophy of physics, and history of physics. It is a collaboration of the Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics (IMAPP), the Institute for Science in Society (ISiS), and the Center for the History of Philosophy and Science (CHPS).

Why foundations and philosophy of physics? Philosophy of Physics is a highly international and flourishing discipline at the intersection of physics, general philosophy of science, epistemology, and metaphysics. The community is especially large and active in the Netherlands. Besides Nijmegen, there are major centers in Amsterdam, Groningen, and Utrecht. Typical topics studied in foundations and philosophy of physics include the interpretation of quantum mechanics, the philosophy of space and time, conceptual issues in QFT, the nature of entropy, fundamentality and emergence. The FPP program is designed for physics students who wish to critically reflect on the foundations and philosophical implications of their (sub-)discipline and aim to pursue doctoral research in the scientific disciplines of philosophy of physics, general philosophy of science, or mathematical physics. By amending a rigorous physics training with further analytical skills, the program equips graduating students with the critical thinking and writing skills, and the conceptual clarity needed for starting a career in research. It is also well suited for pivoting to areas such as science communication.

More information?
https://rcnp.science.ru.nl/education/fpp.html
kian.salimkhani(at)ru.nl | karla.weingarten(at)ru.nl

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Reposted by Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy

Olivier Sartenaer @osartenaer.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Call for participation: Transitions in Emergence Two-day conference at UNamur (Belgium) - May 12-13, 2026. Keynote speakers: K. Crowther, S. Fletcher, T. O'Connor, E. Onnis, J. Heil and J. Wilson. Contributed speakers: M. Stürmer, D. Bella, M. Paolini Paoletti, M. Pedroni, F. Eskens #philsci

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Reposted by Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy

ISiS Radboud @isis-radboud.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Upcoming talks in our colloquium series in March:

03 March
Chien-Shiung Wu: Breaking Parity Against Disparity
(Shelly Yiran Shi | UCSD / U Oxford)

10 March
Diversity within Genetic Studies of Complex Traits
(Lauren Wilson | U Exeter)

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Reposted by Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy

Black Hole Initiative @bhi-harvard.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

Please join us on 02.23.26, at 9:30 am, for our next Foundations Seminar. Our speaker will be Kian Salimkhani from Radbound University. Please register here: bit.ly/4n8Hwvu #bhi #blackholeinitiative #bhifoundationsseminar #foundationseminar #KianSalimkhani #radboud_uni #harvard #philosphy

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Reposted by Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy

ISiS Radboud @isis-radboud.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

New academic year -- new ISiS colloquia with many super interesting talks about AI, human-nature relations, philosophy of physics and social science, research assessment, projects at our institute etc. etc. 👩🏽‍🔬🤖📃🌳 #STS #philsci #ecology

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Reposted by Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy

EU Philosophy of Astronomy & Cosmology @eu-phil-cosmo.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Ending the first day of our Spacetime Matters conference with a keynote by Kian Salimkhani

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

Our PhD student Karla Weingarten (@karlawg.bsky.social) just published her first paper! "Understanding Particle Interactions: Feynman Diagrams as Representative Models" is now available open access at @thebjps.bsky.social.

journals.uchicago.edu

Understanding Particle Interactions: Feynman Diagrams as Representative Models | The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science: Vol 0, No ja

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Reposted by Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy

British Journal for the Philosophy of Science @thebjps.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

New from the BJPS Review of Books The Non-fundamentality of Spacetime – Kian Salimkhani Reviewed by Noel Swanson Read it here: www.thebsps.org/reviewofbook... #philsci #philsky

thebsps.org

Kian Salimkhani, The Non-fundamentality of Spacetime | BJPS Review of Books

Noel Swanson reviews The Non-fundamentality of Spacetime, by Kian Salimkhani

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

New Quarterly Lecture in Philosophy of Science On Wednesday (tomorrow), 4 June, at 4 pm CEST, Jill North (Rutgers) will talk about "Losing an i: On the Naturalness of Complex Numbers for Quantum Mechanics". Join us online! More information and the Zoom link:

philosophiederphysik.de

Quartalsvorlesungen | Philosophie und Physik

Was ist Philosophie der Physik? Und wie werde ich Philosoph*in der Physik?

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Reposted by Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy

Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

Newly advertised PhD position supervised by Marij van Strien. The focus is on philosophical discussions around physics in the nineteenth or twentieth century. Possible topics include conceptions of causality, chance, emergence, or chaos theory.

ru.nl

PhD Position: History and Philosophy of Modern Physics | Radboud University

Do you want to work as a PhD Position: History and Philosophy of Modern Physics at the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies? Check our vacancy!

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

ru.nl

PhD Position: History and Philosophy of Modern Physics | Radboud University

Do you want to work as a PhD Position: History and Philosophy of Modern Physics at the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies? Check our vacancy!

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

Marij van Strien wrote a short article for IAI News, "How quantum mechanics changed science forever: Rationality, anarchy, and bad science".

iai.tv

How quantum mechanics changed science forever | Marij van Strien

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

In a few minutes our postdoc Martin Voggenauer will present a recently accepted paper at our RCNP colloquium: "Explaining Objective Probabilities by Physical Symmetries". Feel free to join us from time to time, it's hybrid!

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Today marks 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz. Here is Eva Szepesi, a survivor of the Shoah, addressing the German Bundestag one year ago.

youtu.be

"It appalls me that right-wing extremist parties are again being voted for" Holocaust remembrance

YouTube video by DW News

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Reposted by Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy

Henk de Regt @henkderegt.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

The RCNP members during the second day of our opening conference Impossible Triangles of Thought #rcnp2025

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

That was amazing! Many many thanks to all the speakers for really wonderful talks and all the participants for all the inspiring discussions! More soon! ##rcnp2025

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

An open question at the end: How to teach Natural Philosophy in a >425 ppm world? Bryan puts it nicely: we act when we care and we care when we understand

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

What a blast! Sylvia Wenmackers now delivering the final presentation on teaching natural philosophy before we'll come to a typical Dutch end: Borrel (drinks)!

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Bryan Roberts urging you to be a good philosopher of physics by heeding Jeremy's call: Be a wizard! #rcnp2025

Bryan Roberts standing behind a cluttered desk

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Flavio del Santo mentions guest editing work together with @bernalessel.bsky.social in his talk "The future of indeterminism looking at the past". #rcnp2025

Flavio. Background: slide on a special issue in EPJH

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Reposted by Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy

Utrecht History & Philosophy of Science @utrechthps.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Echoing Hilbert, James Read is settling for once and for all what the 23 most important problems in philosophy of physics are #rcnp2025

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

What a performance! Hard to follow for many, but not so for James Read who now kicks off the "Into the future" session! #rcnp2025

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

And now for something completely different: a theatre performance! ##rcnp2025

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Tomasz Placek is speaking about Montague for our last session before lunch. #rcnp2025

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

We are back after the coffee break to listen to Lena Zuchowski‘s fascinating presentation on fundamental dimensions of (dis)order. #rcnp2025

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Klaas is following up on the „Butterfield-Landsman determinism“ introduced by Hans. #rcnp2025

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

We continue on the theme of determinism with a great talk by Hans Halvorson. #rcnp2025

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

We are starting the second day of our opening conference with a talk by Kerry McKenzie on one of the center‘s main themes, determinism. #rcnp2025

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Reposted by Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy

Henk de Regt @henkderegt.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

The first day of our RCNP opening conference was a big success, with many inspiring talks. Here is Dennis Dieks explaining the modal interpretatie of Quantum Mechanics #rcnp2025

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Now, we'll head to Huize Heyendaal for the conference banquet! We'll continue tomorrow at 9am with Kerry McKenzie kicking off the second day of our opening. #rcnp2025

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Final discussion for today, amongst others, with our dear friend from Utrecht, Niels Martens, pressing Dennis for additional details and receiving surprising news (no photo of the latter, unfortunately). #rcnp2025

Participants sitting in a lecture hall, Niels asking a question

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Dennis Lehmkuhl situating his talk in the broader context of Penrose’s results. #rcnp2025

Dennis Lehmkuhl pointing at a list of some of Penrose’s core results during the Renaissance of GR

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EU Philosophy of Astronomy & Cosmology @eu-phil-cosmo.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Dennis Lehmkuhl presenting joint work with Juliusz Doboszewski and Christian Röken on the role of the analogy with optical lensing in Penrose's journey towards the singularity theorem, at the launch of the Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy #rcnp2025 philosophyofphysics.lse.ac.uk/articles/10....

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Very nice discussion of Emilie's insightful presentation on visual evidence for the existence of black holes, including comments by Radboud's own expert on black holes: Heino Falcke. Next: Dennis Lehmkuhl! #rcnp2025

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Reposted by Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy

EU Philosophy of Astronomy & Cosmology @eu-phil-cosmo.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

What promises to be a beautiful talk, by Emilie Skulberg #rcnp2025

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Radboud Centre for Natural Philosophy @rcnp-nijmegen.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Dimmed lights for the next lecture by Emilie Skulberg on supermassive black holes! #rcnp2025

Emilie Skulberg and the title page of her talk on Absence as existence. Visual evidence and arguments for the existence of supermassive black holes

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