History and Foundations of Physics Reading Group (HoFoP)
HoFoP is an interdisciplinary group of students and faculty at Yale dedicated to exploring and discussing topics in the philosophy and history of physics, and of science more broadly. We engage with foundational texts as well as with contemporary ideas and guest speakers. Meetings are once a month.
Contact: Yarone Tokayer , Molly Watts, or Sebastian Fernandez-Mulligan
Faculty Advisor: Priya Natarajan
Spring 2025
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History & Foundations of Physics - February 18, 2025, “Prestige Asymmetry in Amreican Physics” by Joseph Martin. Kline Tower, rm. 401 @ 5:30 pm.Supplemental Reading: Fundamental Disputations by Joseph Martin Co-sponsored by the Franke Program in Science and the Humanities. |
Fall 2024
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History & Foundations of Physics - December 12, 2024, “The Expanded Laboratory Environment: Discerning Signal to Noise in Extremely Sensitive Experiments”. Kline Tower, rm. 501 @ 5:30 pm.Discussion with Tiffany Nichols, Northeastern University Reading: Nichols hidden in plain sight Co-sponsored by the Franke Program in Science and the Humanities. |
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History & Foundations of Physics - November 20, 2024, “Are scientists special?”. Kline Tower, rm. 501 @ 5:30 pm.A conversation on moral virtues and public authority. Readings: Shapin, the way we trust now and Shapin, Scientific Life Ch. 3 (supplemental) Co-sponsored by the Franke Program in Science and the Humanities. |
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History & Foundations of Physics Group - October 1, 2024, “What is Complexity in Science?”. Kline Tower, rm. 501 @ 5:30 pm.A discussion on chaos, causality and computation. Readings: McIntyre and Prigogine (optional) Co-sponsored by the Franke Program in Science and the Humanities. |
Summer 2024
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History & Foundations of Physics & Graduate Theory Seminar Group - June 4, 2024, “Symmetry and Conservation in Nature”. Kline Tower, rm. 501 @ 12:30 pm.Readings: Lange and Weyl (excerpt) Co-sponsored by the Franke Program in Science and the Humanities. |