Science AMA Series: I’m James Owen Weatherall, physicist and philosopher
at the University of California, Irvine. I wrote a book about how the
concept of nothingness—the absence of stuff—has been central to
centuries of physics theories. AMA!
Abstract
I’m James Owen Weatherall, a professor of Logic and Philosophy of
Science at the University of California, Irvine, where I’m also a member
of the Institute for Mathematical Behavioral Science. I’m interested in
the mathematical and conceptual foundations of physics, model-building
in finance, and epistemology more broadly. In my new book Void: The
Strange Physics of Nothing, I talk about the historical and conceptual
issues related to the physics of “nothing,” from controversies about
empty space in the 17th century to the strange features of the vacuum
state in quantum field theory today. You can read more about it in this
interview with Physics Today. I’m also the author of The Physics of Wall
Street, which looked at how modeling ideas moved from physics into
finance during the 20th century. And right now I’m writing a book on why
false beliefs persist and spread, even when everyone cares about
believing true things about the world. I’m looking forward to talking
about the philosophy of physics, finance and mathematics, and of course,
nothing. I’ll be back at 4pm EDT to answer your questions! EDIT: That’s
a wrap. Thanks for the great questions!