The Geneva Symmetry Group, Beyond Spacetime, and the Space and Time After Quantum Gravity Project are happy to present two talks by Karim Thébault (University of Bristol) this week (abstract below):
Wednesday, 10 May 2017, 18:00-19:30, Room L107 at 2, Rue De-Candolle:
Karim Thébault (Bristol): Cosmic singularity resolution via quantum evolution
and
Thursday, 11 May 2017, 16:15-17:45, Room B002, Uni Bastions:
Karim Thébault (Bristol): Prolegomenon to a philosophy of analogue experiment
Anyone who wishes to attend is welcome.
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Karim Thébault (Bristol): Cosmic singularity resolution via quantum evolution
Abstract: We offer a new proposal for singularity resolution in quantum cosmology based upon quantum evolution. In particular, we advocate a new approach to the quantization of mini-superspace leading to a Schrödinger equation for the universe. For models with a massless scalar field and positive cosmological constant, we show that well-behaved quantum observables can be constructed, that generic solutions to this equation are singularity-free and that specific solutions display novel phenomenology including a cosmic bounce.
In terms of technical difficulty, this talk rates 4/5
Karim Thébault (Bristol): Prolegomenon to a philosophy of analogue experiment
Abstract: This will be an informal talk about empirical confirmation in so-called “analogue systems”, which are used to simulate e.g. a black hole by a tabletop experiment in a terrestrial lab.
