Innovating Works

FIndS

Financiado
Fundamental indeterminacy of spacetime
It has been a long-lasting major mystery in modern physics that our current best theories, namely general relativity for spacetime and quantum mechanics (QM) for matter, are incompatible with each other, revealing deep conceptual... It has been a long-lasting major mystery in modern physics that our current best theories, namely general relativity for spacetime and quantum mechanics (QM) for matter, are incompatible with each other, revealing deep conceptual flaws in the way we understand the physical world. We currently lack a truly fundamental theory of nature that provides a quantum description of space and time (i.e. a theory of quantum gravity (QG)). Yet, an important obstacle currently stands in the way of the current development of QG. Indeed, influential research programmes attempting to find a theory of QG yield theories in which spacetime is emergent, rather than fundamental. Such approaches, called emergent spacetime theories (ESTs), raise critical philosophical challenges for the very possibility of considering these theories as describing the fundamental physical world, beyond their mere mathematical content. There exists a gap between the mathematical nature of the theories and their postulated meaning. Such a gap is highly detrimental to the development of fundamental physics. The project FIndS intends to fill that gap by providing a clear, intelligible interpretation of what it means for spacetime to be emergent in ESTs. The project’s outputs are expected to contribute to the following scientific impacts. First, the research will provide a unified solution to the current conceptual obstacles of ESTs. In the long term, this can foster new knowledge in philosophy (of spacetime, emergence and indeterminacy), and quantum physics, thereby contributing to the objectives of the European Quantum Flagship initiative. Second, the research will promote a specific realist interpretative recipe that can, during and shortly after the project, be used as a defence of scientific realism in the face of theory change and proliferation. The researcher has a background in physics and quantum metaphysics (esp. of spacetime). FIndS is the ideal project to complete her expertise in that field. ver más
31/05/2025
LMU MUENCHEN
174K€
Perfil tecnológico estimado
Duración del proyecto: 24 meses Fecha Inicio: 2023-05-02
Fecha Fin: 2025-05-31

Línea de financiación: concedida

El organismo HORIZON EUROPE notifico la concesión del proyecto el día 2023-05-02
Línea de financiación objetivo El proyecto se financió a través de la siguiente ayuda:
HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01-01: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022
Cerrada hace 2 años
Presupuesto El presupuesto total del proyecto asciende a 174K€
Líder del proyecto
LUDWIGMAXIMILIANSUNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN No se ha especificado una descripción o un objeto social para esta compañía.
Perfil tecnológico TRL 4-5