My research intertwines philosophy of physics, general philosophy of science, and metaphysics of science. I’m mainly focused on four research areas.
[1] Inter-level relations in science: I’m interested in how scientific theories that describe reality at different levels are related, and in how best to model relations of reduction and emergence in science, especially in physics. My work has focused in particular on functional reduction, and I have contributed to developing this approach within the philosophy of science [SEP]. Functional reduction provides a useful framework for understanding reduction across a range of contexts, including thermodynamics, classical mechanics, and biochemistry. More broadly, I am interested in the connections between the ontologies of theories that are valid at different regimes or scales, in limiting reduction in physics, in the notions of effective theory and effective realism, and in functionalism about theoretical terms in science.
[2] Thermodynamics and statistical physics: I'm interested in the foundations of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, especially the applicability of statistical mechanics and thermodynamics to unconventional domains, such as gravitating systems like globular clusters of stars. These theories help us understand the behaviour of these systems, but the standard application of concepts like equilibrium is problematic. Probing the physics of these atypical systems leads us to reconsider the very foundations of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics.
[3] Spacetime theories: As part of SNF’s “Temporal Existence” project, my work addresses the structure of spacetime theories, particularly the metaphysics of space and time, examining both classical settings (e.g. Newton-Cartan theory) and relativistic and cosmological contexts. I focus especially on the relations between space, time, and spacetime, with particular attention to what physics reveals about simultaneity and the unification of space and time into spacetime.
[4] Quantum mechanics: I work on various topics within the ontology of quantum mechanics, particularly on the physical meaning of the quantum wavefunction. I explored the latter topic in the context of collapse theories and Bohmian mechanics, worked on the application of Ontic Structural Realism to quantum mechanics, and developed a functionalist account to recover three-dimensional objects from the quantum wavefunction.