BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//The Rotman Institute of Philosophy - ECPv6.11.0.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:The Rotman Institute of Philosophy X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Rotman Institute of Philosophy REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Toronto BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20130310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20131103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20140309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20141102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20150308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20151101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20160313T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20161106T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20170312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20171105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20180311T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20181104T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20190310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20191103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20200308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20201101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20210314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20211107T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20220313T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20221106T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251024T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251024T113000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052000 CREATED:20251015T130533Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251021T132005Z UID:29465-1761301800-1761305400@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Rotman Guest Speaker: Dr. Ken Waters DESCRIPTION:“Using Experimental Models to Investigate How Agency Can Arise and Evolve”Abstract:  \nWaters will describe a project he is leading that involves collaboration of scientific research teams and his philosophical team. The project employs experimental models to investigate and represent how agency can arise and evolve. Waters team is articulating the concepts and investigative approaches being employed by the scientific researchers. Michael Travisano’s lab at the University of Minnesota has constructed a model to investigate how agency can arise in simple\, non-cellular systems. Their new model for experimental evolution uses single-stranded DNA to investigate how populations can alter ecological contexts and open up opportunities for subsequent evolutionary change. Maria Robelleda-Gomez lab at the University of California – Irvine has constructed an experimental model to investigate the evolution of biological agency in complex systems consisting of a community of several microbial species. She uses this model to investigate how overall community functioning is a consequence of the interaction of microbial species in partitioning resources arising from metabolic constraints. Valeria Souza’s group at UNAM is applying experimental techniques to investigate an In situ model: microbial communities at Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) in Coahuila\, Mexico. She uses this model to investigate how evolutionary feedbacks can change environmental landscapes in ways that impede rather than facilitate directional change. Our empirical investigations are guided by the idea that iterative processes produce opportunities for dramatic innovation\, giving rise to agential systems that set new directions for evolutionary change. These iterative processes involve eco-evolutionary feedbacks in which preexisting ecology shapes evolutionary outcomes\, shaping new ecology. \nBio:  \nDr. C. Kenneth Waters is a Canada Research Chair at the University of Calgary. Dr. Waters’ research concerns the nature of scientific knowledge and the conditions that make this knowledge possible. His belief is that that biology provides an illuminating context for investigating a number of philosophical issues concerning science\, and he is fascinated by biologists’ efforts to investigate\, manipulate\, and understand life. His particular interests include evolutionary biology (specifically concerning issues related to epistemic pluralism and causation)\, and genetics and allied sciences (specifically issues about realism\, reductionism\, and the structure of scientific knowledge). He was previously at the University of Minnesota\, where he was named a Scholar of the College from 2009-2012\, and prior to that was the John Dolan Professor from 2007-2009. \nAttendance is free; no RSVP is required. URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/rotman-guest-speaker-ken-waters/ LOCATION:Room 1170 – Western Interdisciplinary Research Building\, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building\, London\, Ontario\, N6A 3K7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Public Events,Public Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/Ken-Water-Oct-2025-12-x-18-in-3.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250811T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250811T190000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20250805T204845Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T152235Z UID:29288-1754933400-1754938800@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Rotman Visiting Speaker: Regina Rini DESCRIPTION:“The mirage of a trustless society”Abstract: This chapter — part of a book about the power and danger of relying on others for knowledge — explores the concept of trust. It argues for a revival and reinterpretation of philosopher Annette Baier’s influential framing of trust as accepted vulnerability to the will of another person. Close examination of two infamous fraudsters\, Bernie Madoff and Sam Bankman-Fried\, shows why trust is both dangerous and ultimately inescapable. The desire for a “trustless” financial system articulated in Bitcoin’s founding document is a seductive mirage\, just as it is in philosophical theories that try to hive off knowledge from normative questions. No area of human society\, whether financial\, technological\, or epistemological\, can be isolated from difficult judgments of moral character. \nBio: Regina Rini is the Canada Research Chair in Social and Moral Cognition and Associate Professor of Philosophy with research background in moral psychology\, ethical theory\, and neuroscience. She teaches and writes on a number of topics at the intersection of normative theory and social science. Her previously published research is mostly about the relevance of cognitive science to moral theory. Currently she is working on new projects related to the ethics of microaggression\, the relationship between moral disagreement and moral agency\, and the role of partisanship in political epistemology. Before coming to York in 2017\, she was Assistant Professor of Bioethics at NYU. Before that she held a postdoc in Moral Cognition at Oxford University. \nAttendance is free; no RSVP is required. \nFor more information and copy of the paper\, please contact Andrew Richmond at arichmo8@uwo.ca \nLight refreshments will be served post-talk. URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/rotman-visiting-speaker-regina-rini/ LOCATION:Room 36 – Physics & Astonomy Building\, 1151 Richmond Street\, London\, ON\, N6A 3K7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Public Events,Public Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/Regina-Rini-Rotman-Visiting-Speaker_updated-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250806T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250806T153000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20250730T202219Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250731T202033Z UID:29253-1754488800-1754494200@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Rotman Visiting Speaker: Eric Hochstein DESCRIPTION:“Why Pan Pancomputationalism?”Abstract: Pancomputationalism is the view that every system in nature (e.g. brains\, digestive tracts\, rocks\, buckets of water\, etc.) can be understood as computing or running a program\, effectively making everything in nature a kind of computer. In response\, an increasing number of philosophers have argued that while we can create a computation model or description of virtually any physical system in nature\, only some systems in nature metaphysically compute or run programs. In this talk I argue that such a view is false\, and not supported by computer science\, or our explanatory practices in the sciences.  In other words\, I argue that we have compelling reasons to think that everything really does compute. And that this does not result in any sort of reduction ad absurdum. \nBio: Eric Hochstein is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Victoria and a Western Research Chair Visiting Fellow with the Rotman Institute of Philosophy.  He specializes in Philosophy of Science\, Philosophy of Neuroscience\, Philosophy of Psychology\, and Philosophy of Mind.  Eric’s research focuses on the different ways in which we model complex systems in science\, and how these various models relate and contribute to scientific explanation. \nAttendance is free\, no RSVP is required. Light refreshments will be served. URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/rotman-visiting-speaker-eric-hochstein/ LOCATION:Room 4190 – Western Interdisciplinary Research Building\, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building\, Room 4190\, London\, Ontario\, N6A 3K7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Past Events,Public Events,Public Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/Eric-Hochstein-Rotman-Visiting-Fellow.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250805T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250805T190000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20250731T200927Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250731T200927Z UID:29259-1754415000-1754420400@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Rotman Visiting Speaker: Cameron Buckner DESCRIPTION:“LLMs as Models of Reasoning”Abstract: Recent advances in large language models that use self-prompting like GPT’s o1/o3 and DeepSeek have begun to encroach on human-level performance on “higher reasoning” problems in mathematics\, planning\, and problem-solving tasks. OpenAI in particular has made ambitious claims that these models are reasoning and that by scrutinizing their chains of self-prompting\, we can “read the minds” of these models\, with obvious implications for solving problems of opacity and safety. In this talk\, I review four different methodological approaches to evaluate the success of these models as models of human reasoning (“psychometrics”\, “signature limits”\, “inner speech”\, and “textual culture”)\, focusing especially on comparisons to philosophical and psychological work on “inner speech” in human reasoning. I argue that this work suggests that while the achievements of self-prompting models are impressive and may make their behavior more human-like\, we should be skeptical that problems of transparency and safety are solved by scrutinizing chains of self-prompting\, and more philosophical and empirical work needs to be done to understand how and why self-prompting improves the performance of these models on reasoning problems. \nBio: Cameron Buckner is a Professor and the Donald F. Cronin Chair in the Humanities at the University of Florida. His research primarily concerns philosophical issues which arise in the study of non-human minds\, especially animal cognition and artificial intelligence.  He began his academic career in logic-based artificial intelligence. This research inspired an interest into the relationship between classical models of reasoning and the (usually very different) ways that humans and animals actually solve problems\, which led him to the discipline of philosophy. He received a PhD in Philosophy at Indiana University in 2011 and an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship at Ruhr-University Bochum from 2011 to 2013. Recent representative publications include “Empiricism without Magic: Transformational Abstraction in Deep Convolutional Neural Networks” (2018\, Synthese)\, and “Rational Inference: The Lowest Bounds” (2017\, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research)—the latter of which won the American Philosophical Association’s Article Prize for the period of 2016–2018.  He just published a book with Oxford University Press that uses empiricist philosophy of mind (from figures such as Aristotle\, Ibn Sina\, John Locke\, David Hume\, William James\, and Sophie de Grouchy) to understand recent advances in deep-neural-network-based artificial intelligence. \nAttendance is free; for more information\, please contact Andrew Richmond at arichmo8@uwo.ca \nLight refreshments will be served post-talk. URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/rotman-visiting-speaker-cameron-buckner/ LOCATION:Room 1130 – Western Interdisciplinary Research Building\, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building\, London\, ON\, N6A3K7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Past Events,Public Events,Public Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/Cameron-Buckner-Rotman-Visiting-Speaker.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250722T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250722T150000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20250715T201309Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250715T201309Z UID:29242-1753192800-1753196400@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Rotman Visiting Speaker: Lauren Olin DESCRIPTION:“Housing Mirth”Talk Description: Like language and morality\, humor is a species universal with evolutionary origins that displays systematic cultural variation. Unlike other distinctively human evaluative capacities\, however\, humor has been neglected by philosophers and cognitive scientists. Housing Mirth diagnoses some historical reasons behind this pattern of neglect\, articulates a methodological framework for humor studies designed to address existing problems in the field\, and elaborates a new theory of humor along the way. According to the theory\, many puzzling features of humorous phenomena are readily understood as side-effects of the interaction between a cognitive system designed to generate predictions about what is likely to happen in the world\, and an emotional system designed to motivate quick action in instances where those predictions fail. \nBio: Lauren Olin’s research is located squarely in the philosophy of cognitive science\, though many of the questions she engages may readily be called ethical or epistemological. Her current interests involve both theoretical and empirical research on patterns of evaluative judgment\, psychopathology\, and epistemic dispositions. She has authored or co-authored papers for journals such as Philosophical Studies\, Synthese\, Transcultural Psychiatry\, and Philosophy Compass. Lauren earned her BA in Philosophy from McGill University in Montreal\, and her MA and PhD from the Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology program at Washington University in St. Louis \nAttendance is free\, no RSVP is required. Light refreshments will be served. URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/rotman-visiting-speaker-lauren-olin/ LOCATION:Room 4190 – Western Interdisciplinary Research Building\, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building\, Room 4190\, London\, Ontario\, N6A 3K7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Past Events,Public Events,Public Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/Lauren-Olin-Rotman-Visiting-Speaker-1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250403T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250403T210000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20250320T173243Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250610T190929Z UID:29056-1743708600-1743714000@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Nerenberg Lecture Series: Francesca Vidotto DESCRIPTION:The lecture is open to all members of the public and it is free. To guarantee a place\, please register for the 2025 Nerenberg Lecture HERE. URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/nerenberg-lecture-series-francesca-vidotto/ LOCATION:Conron Hall\, Unversity College\, Western University\, Western University - 1151 Richmond Street\, London\, ON\, N6A 3K7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Past Events,Public Events,Public Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/Nerenberg_FV_2025_UWO.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250326T153000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250326T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20250320T134139Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250610T191150Z UID:29042-1743003000-1743008400@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Rotman Visiting Speaker: Chris Letheby DESCRIPTION:“Merely Believing and Really Believing: Mental Imagery in Personal Transformation”Talk Description: As a teacher of mine once remarked\, when we say that teenagers think they are immortal\, we don’t mean that they would fail a biology test. Teenagers believe\, truly and justifiably\, that they will die\, but there is also a sense in which they – and perhaps most of us – don’t really believe it. The topic of this talk is exactly this difference between merely believing and really believing a proposition – between knowing it only in our head\, as we might say\, and knowing it in our heart\, or feeling it in our bones. The shift from ‘head’ knowledge to ‘heart’ knowledge has been much discussed but is still not fully understood. A fuller understanding of it could shed light on interesting theoretical questions and be of significant practical benefit\, given the apparent therapeutic and transformative relevance of such shifts. In the talk I explore a simple proposal about the cognitive nature of such shifts: that they consist primarily in the activation of mental imagery. My ultimate conclusion is that this proposal gets at part of the truth\, but may not be the whole story. Exploring its limits promises to shed further light on the nature of the shifts themselves\, and perhaps even on broader questions about cognitive architecture. \nBio: Dr Chris Letheby is a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at The University of Western Australia (UWA). His areas of specialization are philosophy of mind\, philosophy of cognitive science\, and philosophy of neuroscience. His research interests include the causal mechanisms and epistemic status of transformative spiritual practices\, the possibility of a “naturalistic spirituality”\, and the nature of self-awareness. At UWA he teaches topics including intro to philosophy\, formal logic\, epistemology\, philosophy of mind\, philosophy of science\, philosophy of artificial intelligence\, and philosophy of psychology and psychiatry. \nLetheby’s research to date has focused mainly on the use of classic psychedelic drugs in neuroscience and psychiatry. In several articles and a book\, he has argued that a traditional conception of psychedelics as agents of insight and spirituality can be reconciled with naturalism\, the philosophical position that the natural world is all there is. He takes a neurophilosophical approach\, grounding his philosophical analyses in scientific findings\, and he has engaged in several interdisciplinary collaborations with neuroscientists and psychologists. \nAttendance is free\, no RSVP is required. Light refreshments will be served. URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/rotman-visiting-speaker-chris-letheby/ LOCATION:Room 3000 – Western Interdisciplinary Research Building\, Western University\, London\, Ontario\, N6A 3K7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Past Events,Public Events,Public Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/Chris-Letheby-Poster_updated.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250130T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250130T190000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20250121T184519Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250610T190753Z UID:28977-1738256400-1738263600@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Duncanson Lecture: Come with Me Inside a Black Hole DESCRIPTION:The Faculty of Arts & Humanities is honoured to host Carlo Rovelli for the 2025 Robert and Patricia Duncanson Lecture\, held on January 30\, 2025. This hybrid event can be attended in person at Conron Hall or online via Zoom. Each registrant will receive the Zoom link as part of the registration email. REGISTER HERE! \n\nIn “Come with Me Inside a Black Hole\,” Rovelli explores white holes\, black holes\, and what we do when we do science. A New York Times bestselling author\, Carlo Rovelli will guide attendees on a trip towards and into a black hole\, illustrating what we know and what we do not know about these strange objects.  He will show how we might then get out of a black hole\, via a white hole\, assuming the theory on which he works\, Loop Quantum Gravity\, is correct. This trip will illustrate what it is to do science\, using imagination\, visualization\, and creativity\, besides ‘cold’ math and logic. \n  \nAbout the Speaker: \nCarlo Rovelli is a theoretical physicist\, known for his work on quantum gravity and the nature of time.  Among his recognitions are the 1996 Xanthopoulos Award and the 2024 Lewis Thomas Prize. He is affiliated to the University of Aix-Marseille\, the philosophy department and the Rotman Institute of the Western University\, the Perimeter Institute and the Santa Fe Institute for Complexity.  He is member of the Institute Universitaire de France\, honorary professor of the Beijing Normal University\, Honoris Causa Laureate of the Universidad de San Martin\, Buenos Aires\, member of the Académie Internationale de Philosophie des Sciences. He promoted the Peace Dividend Initiative\, involving 60 Nobel Laureates in asking for a worldwide collaborative military expenses reduction. He has written global best sellers translated in more than 40 languages.  He has been included in the 2019 list of the 100 most influential “Global Thinkers” by Foreign Policy magazine and in the 2021 list of The World’s 50 Top Thinkers by Prospect magazine. \n  \n\nFollowing Carlo Rovelli’s lecture\, a reception will be held in the rooms adjoining Conron Hall. \nProgram\n4:30 p.m. – Guests arrive for in person lecture\n5:00 to 6:00 p.m. – Lecture and live stream\n6:00 to 7:00 p.m. – Reception \nAll registrants will receive the Zoom link; during the registration process you will be asked if you are attending in person (which includes the reception) or online. Should your plans to attend in person change due to illness or weather\, the Zoom option will be available. \nAdvance registration is appreciated by January 27\, 2025. The lecture will begin promptly at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (Toronto\, Ontario\, Canada). \nGetting to Campus \nPlease allow sufficient time to navigate campus. The campus is well-served by numerous bus routes\, bike parking\, and well-maintained paths and sidewalks. Learn more about Sustainable Transportation – Parking & Visitor Services – Western University (uwo.ca). The South Valley Lot\, Middlesex Lot and The Springett Lots become complimentary with their gates raised at 4:00pm. Paid parking is available at the Talbot Lot as well. \nPlease contact Western Alumni if you require information in an alternate format or have other accessibility needs. URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/carlo-rovelli-duncanson-lecture/ LOCATION:Zoom webinar or Conron Hall\, University College\, Western University\, Western University - 1151 Richmond Street\, London\, ON\, N6A 3K7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Past Events,Public Events,Public Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/Galalxy-Black-Hole.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20220407T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20220407T210000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20220222T191620Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220224T151519Z UID:26585-1649359800-1649365200@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Ann-Sophie Barwich - The Cinderella of the Senses: Smell as a Window into Mind and Brain DESCRIPTION:Join the Rotman Institute of Philosophy for a talk by Dr. Ann Sophie-Barwich related to her recent book\, Smellosophy: What the Nose Tells the Mind (Harvard University Press\, 2020).\nPending changes due to the evolving COVID situation\, this event is planned to be hybrid\, with both in-person and virtual attendance options. Please see below for full details. \nAbstract:\nThe human sense of smell has a remarkably lousy reputation. Popular opinion holds that we are bad at identifying and naming scents\, our olfactory system is in evolutionary decline\, and our olfactory sensations lack cognitive sophistication. However\, scientific insight has proven many of these predominantly pejorative beliefs about human smell perception wrong over the past three decades. Our olfactory system is much more elaborate than previously thought\, both in its physiological and cognitive functions. Recent developments in research on smell now offer an intriguing challenge to the current paradigm of sensory explanation: vision. My talk shows how theories of mind and brain–traditionally framed through our understanding of vision–can be revisited through smell. Specifically\, I argue that (1) odor perception is variable but not subjective\, and (2) our eyes are more easily fooled than our nose. The central aim of this talk is to illustrate the deep connection of odor perception with cognition. Not only is our perception of smell better than we think\, but it is also better when we think. \nSpeaker Profile:\nAnn-Sophie Barwich is a cognitive scientist and empirical philosopher. She is an Assistant Professor at Indiana University Bloomington. She divides her brain-time between the Department of History & Philosophy of Science and the Cognitive Science Program. \nSophie-Barwich’s first book Smellosophy: What the Nose tells the Mind\, highlights the importance of thinking about the sense of smell as a model for neuroscience and the senses.Her research in the Philosophy of Olfaction investigates: \n\nHow does the brain make sense of scents?\nWhat are the perceptual dimensions of smell?\nWhat are the epistemic\, empirical\, and social factors that define ongoing science (in comparison with the philosophical study of historical episodes)?\n\nLearn more about Ann-Sophie Barwich and about Smellosophy: What the Nose Tells the Mind. \nRegistration & Attendance:\nAttendance is free\, but for planning purposes and due to space constraints\, advance registration is required. We will be able to accommodate both in-person and virtual attendance. Anyone unsure at this time if they’ll participate in-person or virtually can proceed with registration\, but must confirm in-person attendance by mid-March. \nIn-Person Attendance\nWestern University’s vaccination policy and mandatory masking requirement remains in place and applies to all campus visitors\, students\, and employees. Please be prepared to provide proof of vaccination prior to entering the Western Interdisciplinary Research Building and note that masks are required at all times indoors. \nVisit Western's COVID-19 Information PageVisitor Parking On CampusComplimentary parking is available starting at 7:00 pm in the Visual Arts parking lot — located between the Western Interdisciplinary Research and Visual Arts Buildings on Perth Drive. (Please do not park in reserved spaces.) This lot is designated as ‘Lot Y’ and displayed in orange on the campus parking map.View the Western Parking MapRegister to attend in-personVirtual Attendance\nFor those who cannot join us in-person\, this talk will be streamed live via Zoom. Virtual attendees will have an opportunity to participate in the Q&A by entering their questions into the chat. Advance registration is required in order to obtain the zoom meeting link & password. \nDownload Zoom Client for MeetingsRegister to attend virtually via ZoomImage credit: Antique Perfume Bottles by Sandy/Chuck Harris (Creative Commons license) \nView similar events\nRotman Guest Speaker: Dr. Ken Waters24 October 2025\, 10:30 am - 11:30 am EDT Rotman Visiting Speaker: Regina Rini11 August 2025\, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm EDT Rotman Visiting Speaker: Eric Hochstein6 August 2025\, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm EDT Rotman Visiting Speaker: Cameron Buckner5 August 2025\, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm EDT URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/ann-sophie-barwich-smellosophy/ LOCATION:Room 1170 – Western Interdisciplinary Research Building\, Western Interdisciplinary Research Building\, London\, Ontario\, N6A 3K7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Philosophy of Mind & Neuroscience,Public Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/4873940335_8d7f9ca804_k.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20211203T133000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20211203T150000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20211021T172401Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220816T170628Z UID:25574-1638538200-1638543600@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Evan Thompson: Consciousness and Dreamless Sleep DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\nNew research suggests that deep and dreamless sleep may not be a blackout state in which consciousness is absent\, but instead a state in which various kinds of conscious states may occur. This lecture will present an overview of current thinking about sleep and consciousness from the perspectives of cognitive neuroscience\, the science of sleep\, and the philosophy of mind. Special consideration will be given to the idea that dreamless sleep may include states of “minimal phenomenal experience\,” a candidate for the simplest form of consciousness. \n\nThis talk will take place via Zoom. Attendance is free\, but advance registration is required in order to obtain the link to join.\nREGISTER TO ATTEND Evan Thompson: CONSCIOUSNESS AND DREAMLESS SLEEPSPEAKER PROFILE\nEvan Thompson is Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia\, Vancouver\, where he is also an Associate Member of the Department of Psychology (Cognitive Science) and the Department of Asian Studies. His books include Waking\, Dreaming\, Being: Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience\, Meditation\, and Philosophy (Columbia University Press 2015)\, and Why I Am Not a Buddhist (Yale University Press\, 2020). \nRead more about Evan Thompson. \nView the event poster for Evan Thompson: Consciousness and Dreamless Sleep \n\nEvent image by Jr Korpa on Unsplash \nView similar events\nWorkshop: Cognition in Social Contexts: Interdisciplinary Perspectives1 May 2025\, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm EDT John Bickle: Unnoticed Features of Exploratory Experiments from the 60-Year History of the N-methyl – D-aspartate (NMDA) Receptor15 September 2023\, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm EDT Liz Schechter: Conscious Agency After Split-Brain Surgery2 December 2022\, 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm EST Ann-Sophie Barwich – The Cinderella of the Senses: Smell as a Window into Mind and Brain7 April 2022\, 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm EDT URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/evan-thompson-consciousness-dreamless-sleep/ LOCATION:Virtual (register for Zoom link) CATEGORIES:Philosophy of Mind & Neuroscience,Public Lectures,Rotman Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/jr-korpa-EdzyKzzGBzs-unsplash.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200326 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200327 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20190829T145735Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200313T123710Z UID:22053-1585180800-1585267199@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:CANCELLED: Samir Okasha -- Evolution\, Altruism and Selfishness DESCRIPTION:EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO THE EVOLVING COVID-19 SITUATION. PLEASE VISIT COVID-19 INFORMATION FOR THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY FOR MORE INFORMATION.\n\n \nAre animals altruistic? From eusocial animals like ants & bees\, to well-documented cases of humpback whales rescuing seals from orcas\, there are numerous examples of what looks like altruism in nature. Among many bird and mammal species individuals give warning calls when a predator is nearby–an act that may save others\, but temporarily puts the individual at greater risk of predation. In vampire bats\, individuals routinely regurgitate blood to members of their colony who’ve had an unsuccessful night of feeding. From an evolutionary perspective\, these behaviours are puzzling. Why would an animal regularly engage in activities that benefit others\, at a cost to itself? Given that not all organisms act selfishly\, is there a biological advantage to altruistic behaviour? How and why might it evolve? \nJoin us for an exploration of this fascinating topic at the 2020 Rotman Lecture by Samir Okasha at Wolf Performance Hall. This event is prepared in partnership with the London Public Library and is open to the public. Attendance will be free\, but for planning purposes advance registration is requested. \n  \nSPEAKER ABSTRACT\n\nIt is sometimes thought that Darwinian evolution implies that organisms will evolve to be “selfish”\, that is\, to behave in a way that furthers their own biological interests rather than those of others. However\, biologists have long recognized that “altruistic” behaviour is quite common in nature\, and have sought to reconcile this finding with evolutionary principles. This talk focuses on the philosophical implications of this classic biological issue\, and asks how biologists use of terms such as “altruism” and “selfishness” relate to their vernacular use. \n  \nSPEAKER PROFILE\n\nSamir Okasha is a Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Bristol. He is a Fellow of the British Academy\, and President of the European Philosophy of Science Association. His philosophical interests fall into two main areas: (i) philosophy of biology / evolutionary theory; and (ii) epistemology /philosophy of science. \nWithin philosophy of biology\, he is especially interested in foundational and conceptual questions surrounding evolutionary theory. For many years\, his research focused on the ‘levels of selection’ question in evolutionary biology\, and the related issue of individual versus group conflicts of interest. This culminated in his book Evolution and the Levels of Selection (OUP 2006)\, which was awarded the 2009 Lakatos Prize for an outstanding contribution to philosophy of science. He continues to work on these topics. \nWithin epistemology / philosophy of science\, he is interested in topics including probability and induction\, evidence and confirmation\, causality\, theory choice\, scepticism and knowledge\, and epistemological holism. \nRead more about Samir Okasha. \n  \n\nPhoto credit: Smiling Macaca fascicularis\, Crab-eating macaque – Tarutao National Marine Park – Rushen (license) URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/samir-okasha-evolution-altruism-and-selfishness/ LOCATION:Wolf Performance Hall – Central Library\, 251 Dundas St\, London\, Ontario\, N6A 6H9\, Canada CATEGORIES:Philosophy of Biology,Public Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/okasha_eventpage.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20190328T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20190328T203000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20181018T180124Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220816T170654Z UID:20902-1553799600-1553805000@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Lisa Feldman Barrett - Emotions: Facts vs. Fictions DESCRIPTION:The 2019 Rotman Lecture will be delivered by Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett\, professor of psychology at Northeastern University\, and author of “How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain“. She delivered the 2017 TED Talk\, “You aren’t at the mercy of your emotions — your brain creates them”\, which was among the top 25 most watched TED videos of 2018. \nABSTRACT\n\nIn this talk\, we’ll explore a series of experiments about emotion whose conclusions seem to defy common sense. We’ll learn that common sense is wrong\, and has been for 2000 years. In the process\, we’ll dispel four of the most widespread fictions about emotions that lurk in classrooms\, boardrooms and bedrooms around the world. We’ll then explore a radically new scientific understanding of what emotions are and how they work. \nSPEAKER PROFILE\n\n\nLisa Feldman Barrett is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at Northeastern University. Dr. Barrett’s research focuses on the nature of emotion from the perspectives of both psychology and neuroscience\, and takes inspiration from anthropology\, philosophy\, and linguistics. Her lab takes an interdisciplinary approach\, and incorporates methods from social\, clinical\, and personality psychology\, psychophysiology\, cognitive science\, cognitive neuroscience\, and visual cognition. Current projects focus on understanding the psychological construction of emotion (i.e.\, how basic affective and conceptual ingredients provide the recipes for emotional experiences)\, age- and disease-related changes in affective circuitry within the human brain\, how language and context influence emotion perception\, how affect influences vision\, and sex differences in emotion. \nRead more about Lisa Feldman Barrett. \nEVENT REGISTRATION\n\nAttendance is free\, but for planning purposes advance registration is requested. All registered guests are invited to join us prior to the lecture for a free reception (with coffee\, tea & light appetizers) in the foyer outside of Wolf Hall. The Western Book Store will have copies of Dr. Feldman Barrett’s books for sale\, and she will be available for book signing. \n6:00 – 7:00 pm – Reception and Book Sale\n6:00 – 6:30 pm – Book Signing\n7:00 – 8:30 pm – Lecture \nTwo hours of free validated parking are available in the Citi Plaza parking lot\, during library hours. \nAdvance registration for this event is now closed. \nEVENT VIDEO\n\n \n  \n\nThis Rotman Lecture was co-sponsored by the London Public Library and The Brain and Mind Institute at Western University. \n\n  \n  \n \n  \n  \n\n\nEVENT POSTER\n\nView a copy of the event poster. \n\nImage credit: Frank Behrens – Clowns (license) URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/lisa-feldman-barrett-emotions-facts-vs-fictions/ LOCATION:Wolf Performance Hall – Central Library\, 251 Dundas St\, London\, Ontario\, N6A 6H9\, Canada CATEGORIES:Philosophy of Mind & Neuroscience,Public Lectures,Rotman Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/feldmanbarrett_event.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20180315T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20180315T183000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20180119T163050Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241009T185028Z UID:19692-1521133200-1521138600@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Julian Savulescu: The Science and Ethics of Human Enhancement DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nScandal after scandal has revealed that sport has been experimenting with human enhancement on a massive scale. These are among the most high-profile cases. But in fact human enhancement technologies influence all aspects of life. From students and professionals taking modafinil to enhance cognition\, focus and drive\, to evidence that SSRIs (anti-depressants) affect moral decision making\, it is increasingly clear that human enhancement is not just possible: it is happening. Meanwhile\, due to prenatal genetic testing\, the number of children born with Downs Syndrome has radically dropped. Whole genome analysis will radically change genetic selection at the embryonic and fetal stages. Gene editing promises even greater ability to remove genetic disorders and alter not just the future child\, but the genetic destiny of generations to come. Our physical\, cognitive\, moral\, and emotional lives\, and those of future generations can all be influenced through these technologies. The age of designer babies has arrived. \nWhat we can do is increasingly powerful. What we should do remains contested. Julian Savulescu will argue that human enhancement is a valid goal of human endeavour. Each type of human enhancement has its own ethical challenges. But to be human is to be better. \nThis event was a follow-up to the panel discussion\, Editing the Human Genome: The Ethics of Moulding our Future . \nSPEAKER PROFILE\n\nProfessor Julian Savulescu is the director of The Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford\, and the Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics. His areas of research include: the ethics of genetics\, especially predictive genetic testing\, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis\, prenatal testing\, behavioural genetics\, genetic enhancement\, gene therapy. Research ethics\, especially ethics of embryo research\, including embryonic stem cell research. New forms of reproduction\, including cloning and assisted reproduction. Medical ethics\, including end of life decision-making\, resource allocation\, consent\, confidentiality\, decision-making involving incompetent people\, and other areas. Sports ethics. The analytic philosophical basis of practical ethics. Julian is a founder member of the Hinxton Group. \nRead more about Julian Savulescu. \n  \nEVENT VIDEO\n\n \n  \nPhoto credit: dawarwickphotography – license URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/julian-savulescu-ethics-human-enhancement/ LOCATION:Room 106 – Physics and Astronomy Building\, 1151 Richmond Street\, London\, Ontario\, N6A 3K7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Ethics,Public Events,Public Lectures,Science and Values ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/5643633721_b60cf0819a_o-by-dawarwickphotography.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20170928T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20170928T163000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20170812T000251Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220816T170716Z UID:17865-1506607200-1506616200@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Alison Gopnik: The Gardener and the Carpenter: What developmental science tells us about relations between parents and children. DESCRIPTION:In this Rotman Lecture\, co-sponsored with Western Alumni and the London Public Library\, renowned author Alison Gopnik asks us to think about parenting as a relationship. \nABSTRACT\n\nCaring deeply about our children is part of what makes us human. Yet the thing we call “parenting” is a surprisingly new invention. In the past thirty years\, the concept of parenting and the multibillion dollar industry surrounding it have transformed child care into obsessive\, controlling\, and goal-oriented labor intended to create a particular kind of child and therefore a particular kind of adult. I’ll argue that the familiar twenty-first-century picture of parents and children is profoundly wrong–it’s not just based on bad science\, it’s bad for kids and parents\, too. Drawing on the study of human evolution and my own scientific research into how children learn\, I’ll show that although caring for children is profoundly important\, it is not a matter of shaping them to turn out a particular way. Children are designed to be messy and unpredictable\, playful and imaginative\, and to be very different both from their parents and from each other. The variability and flexibility of childhood lets them innovate\, create\, and survive in an unpredictable world. “Parenting” won’t make children learn—but caring parents let children learn by creating a secure\, loving environment. \nSPEAKER PROFILE\n\nAlison Gopnik is a professor of psychology and affiliate professor of philosophy at the University of California\, Berkeley. Her research explores how young children come to know about the world around them. Professor Gopnik’s current research focuses on how children learn about the causal structure of the world—how some things make other things happen. She is the author of several books\, including the New York Times bestseller\, “The Philosophical Baby\,” and\, most recently\, “The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children.” \nRead more about Alison Gopnik. \n  \n  \n  \n  \nEVENT POSTER\n\nView a copy of the event poster. \nEVENT VIDEO\n\n \n  URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/alison-gopnik-gardener-carpenterwhat-developmental-science-tells-us-relations-parents-children/ LOCATION:Wolf Performance Hall – Central Library\, 251 Dundas St\, London\, Ontario\, N6A 6H9\, Canada CATEGORIES:Philosophy of Mind & Neuroscience,Public Events,Public Lectures,Rotman Lectures,Science and Values ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/gopnikfp.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20170317T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20170317T133000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20170816T213230Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181017T154416Z UID:18036-1489752000-1489757400@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Aimee van Wynsberghe: The Ethics of Ethical Robots DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nRobots are no longer fuel for the imagination of science fiction writers; they are now a part of our personal and professional lives and will become increasingly so in the years to come. They are already a part of surgical procedures and are delivering sheets and medications throughout the hospital. They are becoming a piece of the average construction site and they assist in farming and agriculture. They help in humanitarian endeavors for the protection of endangered species and they provide supplies in times of natural disasters. Given the often morally charged contexts within which these robots are being placed\, many researchers believe that certain robots ought to be endowed with moral reasoning capabilities. This would allow the robot to make an ethical decision on its own\, without the direct input from a human operator. The nascent field of machine ethics is dedicated to the question of “moral machines”\, namely can it be done and if so how? Moral Philosopher Susan Leigh Anderson\, one of the pioneers of the field\, writes: “the ultimate goal of machine ethics…is to create autonomous ethical machines”. This would mean that your autonomous car will be capable of deliberating who to kill in an emergency situation: the child crossing the street or the driver in the car? This may also mean that the home care robot will ponder the rights and wrongs of fulfilling your request for an evening brandy if you have already had one and its programming warns against another. Alongside the consequences for the human users of these moral machines are the broader societal and legal considerations of creating an artificial moral agent in terms of its status in society: as a slave to humans or as a member of our moral community deserving of rights\, freedoms and protections? This talk will present the domain of machine ethics; what is it and what are the consequences of creating moral machines. The core of this talk will focus on the question of whether or not we should develop moral machines rather than how we might do this. \nSPEAKER PROFILE\n\nAimee van Wynsberghe \nAimee van Wynsberghe is assistant professor of ethics and technology at the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands. She is co-founder and president of the Foundation for Responsible Robotics. She is also a member of the 4TU center for ethics and technology where she heads the robotics task force. With the help of an NWO personal research grant she is researching how we can responsibly design service robots. Her past research looked at evaluating and designing care robots. \nRead more about Aimee van Wynsberghe. \nEVENT POSTER\n\nDownload a copy of the event poster. \nEVENT VIDEO\n\n[ \nPhoto credit: Elias Gayles (license) URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/aimee-van-wynsberghe-ethics-ethical-robots/ LOCATION:Room 2202 – Spencer Engineering Building\, Spencer Engineering Building\, Western University\, London\, Ontario\, Canada CATEGORIES:Ethics,Public Events,Public Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/robot_FCA-e1539791047366.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20170316T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20170316T163000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20170816T214952Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181017T152643Z UID:18040-1489676400-1489681800@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Aimee van Wynsberghe: Robot Ethics: What is it and why should we care? DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nThe 21st century is predicted to be the century of service robots. Service robots differ from factory robots in that they function in unstructured and unpredictable human environments and will even co-operate with humans. They can already be found in: neighbourhood stores for greeting us; hospitals to help with surgeries\, rehabilitation\, or for the delivery of sheets and medications; and\, our homes for vacuuming or cutting the grass. Robots have proven effective in construction\, farming\, education\, and agriculture. The latest developments even have service robots as humanitarian support systems for delivering resources as emergency response aids\, or for the tracking of endangered species. The good that will come from robots seems limitless; however\, they also hold the potential for negative consequences (e.g. displacement of workers\, unsafe situations\, and infringement of rights). The field of robot ethics is dedicated to addressing both the positive and negative issues related to the design\, development\, and deployment of robotics-at-large. This talk will introduce the domain of robot ethics as well as the reasons for which every citizen ought to be informed and concerned with the rise of service robots in our daily lives and spaces. What’s more\, given that design choices impact both the good and bad outcomes of robots\, there are reasons to be concerned if ethical considerations are not taken into account in the design and development of service robots rather than their implementation exclusively. Robot ethicists want to uncover the positives to come from this technology and help steer the development accordingly. It is through thoughtful reflection and deliberation of the kind shown in this talk that will help us to shape a future with robots that is worth wanting. \nSPEAKER PROFILE\n\nAimee van Wynsberghe \nAimee van Wynsberghe is assistant professor of ethics and technology at the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands. She is co-founder and president of the Foundation for Responsible Robotics. She is also a member of the 4TU center for ethics and technology where she heads the robotics task force. With the help of an NWO personal research grant she is researching how we can responsibly design service robots. Her past research looked at evaluating and designing care robots. \nRead more about Aimee van Wynsberghe. \nEVENT POSTER\n\nDownload a copy of the event poster. \nEVENT VIDEO\n\n \n\nThis event was co-sponsored with the London Public Library. \nPhoto credit: Elias Gayles (license) URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/aimee-van-wynsberghe-robot-ethics-care/ LOCATION:Stevenson & Hunt Room A – Central Library\, 251 Dundas St\, London\, Ontario\, Canada CATEGORIES:Ethics,Public Events,Public Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/robot_FCA-e1539791047366.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20160916T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20160916T143000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20170817T185610Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181017T152750Z UID:18066-1474030800-1474036200@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Andrew Light: What Happened in Paris? How Differentiation Evolved to Create a Global Climate Agreement. DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nLast December\, after twenty years of apparent incremental progress\, over 190 countries meeting under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change managed to create what promises to be a lasting international climate agreement. Debates continue however over whether the greenhouse gas mitigation commitments that parties brought to the table in Paris are sufficiently robust to achieve the agreement’s lofty aspirations. These debates may however miss one of the agreement’s most important outcomes: potentially settling the core problem of distributive justice that made this process so difficult: which parties need to cut their emissions\, how much\, and on what time frame. To better understand the significance of the new Paris Agreement we will review the history of the UN climate negotiations\, with a focus on how debates over differentiation evolved over time to create a platform for what is expected to be increased commitments to climate action moving forward. \nSPEAKER PROFILE\n\nAndrew Light has two interrelated careers. One is as an academic where he has worked for almost twenty years on the normative implications of environmental policy. The other is as a policy expert and advocate where he works on the front lines of international climate and science policy. From 2013-2016 he served as Senior Adviser and India Counselor to the U.S. Special Envoy on Climate Change\, and as a Staff Climate Adviser in the Secretary of State’s Office of Policy Planning in the U.S. Department of State. In this capacity he was Co-Chair of the U.S.-India Joint Working Group on Combating Climate Change\, Chair of the Interagency Climate Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals\, and served on the senior strategy team for the UN climate negotiations. Before joining the U.S. government he was also a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress\, where he was chief adviser on international climate policy to the center’s founder and chairman\, John Podesta. At this time he authored or co-authored eleven major reports on climate change and renewable energy\, and over a hundred columns and editorials. He will continue much of this work in his new role as Distinguished Senior Fellow in the climate program at the World Resources Institute. \nIn his academic work Light is the author of over 100 articles and book chapters on climate change\, restoration ecology\, and urban sustainability\, and has authored\, co-authored\, and edited 19 books\, including Environmental Values (Routledge\, 2008)\, Controlling Technology (Prometheus\, 2005)\, Moral and Political Reasoning in Environmental Practice (MIT\, 2003)\, Technology and the Good Life? (Chicago\, 2000)\, Environmental Pragmatism (Routledge\, 1996)\, and the forthcoming Ethics in the Anthropocene (MIT). He has previously taught at a variety of institutions\, including the Environmental Conservation Program at NYU and the School of Public Affairs and Department of Philosophy at the University of Washington\, Seattle. More detail about his work can be found at the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy website. \nRead more about Andrew Light. \nEVENT POSTER\n\nView and download a copy of the event poster. \nEVENT VIDEO URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/andrew-light-happened-paris-differentiation-evolved-create-global-climate-agreement/ LOCATION:Room 2202 – Spencer Engineering Building\, Spencer Engineering Building\, Western University\, London\, Ontario\, Canada CATEGORIES:Ecological Philosophy,Public Events,Public Lectures,Science and Values ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/lightFCA.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20160309T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20160309T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20170817T195550Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181017T152741Z UID:18083-1457519400-1457524800@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Cordelia Fine: The myth of the Lehman Sisters? Sex\, testosterone\, and financial risk-taking DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nThere is growing scientific interest in the role of testosterone in financial risk-taking – a topic of considerable public interest too\, with suggestions that there is “too much testosterone on Wall Street”. Both research and debate is often grounded in an implicit model in which testosterone is presumed to be the proximal mechanism underlying the evolved masculine trait of risk-taking. This talk will identify a number of problems with the underlying assumptions of this model\, and report the findings from a meta-analytic study on testosterone and financial risk-taking. \nSPEAKER PROFILE\n\nPhoto credit: Dean Cambray \nDr Cordelia Fine is an academic psychologist and writer. \nShe has been described as “that rare academic who’s also an excellent writer” (Library Journal)\, a “cognitive neuroscientist with a sharp sense of humour and an intelligent sense of reality” (The Times)\, “a brilliant feminist critic of the neurosciences” (Times HES)\, “a science writer to watch”(Metro) and a Myth Busting Hero (CARE). \nCordelia’s latest book\, Delusions of Gender: How our minds\, society\, and neurosexism create difference was short-listed for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction\, the Best Book of Ideas Prize 2011\, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize 2010 and the biannual international cross-genre Warwick Prize 2013. Cordelia is a regular contributor to the popular media\, including the New York Times\, Wall Street Journal\, Monthly and New Statesman. She also wrote the introduction for the Britannica Guide to the Brain. \nCordelia studied Experimental Psychology at Oxford University\, followed by an M.Phil in Criminology at Cambridge University. She was awarded a Ph.D in Psychology from University College London. Between 2002 to 2011 she held research positions at Monash University\, the Australian National University\, then Macquarie University. \nShe is currently an ARC Future Fellow in Psychological Sciences and Associate Professor at the Melbourne Business School\, University of Melbourne. \nRead more about Cordelia Fine. \nEVENT POSTER\n\nDownload a copy of the event poster. \nEVENT VIDEO URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/cordelia-fine-myth-lehman-sisters-sex-testosterone-financial-risk-taking/ LOCATION:Room 100 – Physics and Astronomy Building\, Physics and Astronomy Building\, Western University\, London\, Ontario\, N6A 3K7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Public Events,Public Lectures,Science and Values ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/fineFCA.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20160308T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20160308T153000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20170817T195908Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220816T170730Z UID:18085-1457445600-1457451000@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Cordelia Fine: Let Toys Be Toys: The Science and Ethics of Gendered Toy Marketing DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nThe gendered marketing of toys is under considerable scrutiny\, with consumer-led campaigns against it invariably giving rise to vigorous debates. Critics argue that gendered toy marketing is socially and developmentally harmful; defenders see it as reflecting and responding to boys’ and girls’ fundamentally different interests. In this talk\, based on work co-authored with Charles Sturt University philosopher Emma Rush\, I’ll explore how science can illuminate the debate\, and what it means for the ethical status of gendered toy marketing. \n \nSPEAKER PROFILE\n\nPhoto credit: Dean Cambray Dr Cordelia Fine is an academic psychologist and writer. \nShe has been described as “that rare academic who’s also an excellent writer” (Library Journal)\, a “cognitive neuroscientist with a sharp sense of humour and an intelligent sense of reality” (The Times)\, “a brilliant feminist critic of the neurosciences” (Times HES)\, “a science writer to watch”(Metro) and a Myth Busting Hero (CARE). \nCordelia’s latest book\, Delusions of Gender: How our minds\, society\, and neurosexism create difference was short-listed for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction\, the Best Book of Ideas Prize 2011\, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize 2010 and the biannual international cross-genre Warwick Prize 2013. Cordelia is a regular contributor to the popular media\, including the New York Times\, Wall Street Journal\, Monthly and New Statesman. She also wrote the introduction for the Britannica Guide to the Brain. \nCordelia studied Experimental Psychology at Oxford University\, followed by an M.Phil in Criminology at Cambridge University. She was awarded a Ph.D in Psychology from University College London. Between 2002 to 2011 she held research positions at Monash University\, the Australian National University\, then Macquarie University. \nShe is currently an ARC Future Fellow in Psychological Sciences and Associate Professor at the Melbourne Business School\, University of Melbourne. \nRead more about Cordelia Fine.\n \nINTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2016\n\nThis lecture is an International Women’s Day 2016 event. International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social\, economic\, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. #PledgeForParity is the International Women’s Day 2016 campaign theme. Take action. Make a pledge below to help accelerate gender parity.\n \nEVENT POSTER\n\n\nDownload a copy of the event poster.\n \n This event is co-sponsored with the London Public Library. URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/cordelia-fine-let-toys-toys-science-ethics-gendered-toy-marketing/ LOCATION:Wolf Performance Hall – Central Library\, 251 Dundas St\, London\, Ontario\, N6A 6H9\, Canada CATEGORIES:Public Events,Public Lectures,Rotman Lectures,Science and Values ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/fineFCA.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20160225T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20160225T153000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20170817T200510Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181017T152807Z UID:18090-1456408800-1456414200@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Evan Fraser: Food in 2050: The Challenge of Feeding 9 Billion DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nCreating food systems capable of sustainably\, equitably\, and nutritiously feeding 9 billion people while dealing with climate change is one of the 21st century’s “Grand Challenges”. Meeting this challenge is about more than just producing enough – indeed\, we already produce enough for everyone\, but more than a billion are overweight while almost a billion under nourished. To help feed the future we must not only produce the right kinds of food\, but must also innovate on food processing and ingredients\, make diets more nutritious\, cut back on waste/emissions\, reduce the amount of water and chemicals we use\, and ensure that small scale farmers around the world have access to markets. To explore these issues\, this talk will first present the factors that are driving changes in our food systems. Second\, this talk will explore where some of these trends are heading. \nSPEAKER PROFILE\n\nEvan started thinking about agriculture and food systems while spending summers working on his grandfather’s fruit farm in Niagara. There\, he watched his stock-broker grandmother rake in an unconscionable amount of money on commissions from her clients’ investments while the farmers around were letting their crops rot because the cost of harvesting was higher than the cost of importing from the Southern US and Mexico. He decided\, however\, it was easier to write and talk about farming than actually try to make a living on it so passed on inheriting the family farm\, opting instead for grad school. He did degrees in forestry\, anthropology and agriculture at UBC and UofT. Since graduating\, he worked in a policy institute with the Hon. Dr. Lloyd Axworthy\, and began his academic career in 2003 in the UK where he worked on farming and climate change at the University of Leeds. He is the author of approximately 70 scientific papers or book chapters on these topics\, has written for the Guardian.com\, CNN.com\, ForeignAffairs.com\, the Walrus and the Ottawa Citizen\, and has two popular non-fiction books about food and food security including: Empires of Food: Feast\, Famine and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations that was published by Simon and Schuster and shortlisted for the James Beard Food Literature Award. Currently\, he holds the Tier I Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and is a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. \nRead more about Evan Fraser. \nEVENT VIDEO\n\n\n \nEVENT POSTER\n\nDownload a copy of the event poster. \n\n This event is co-sponsored with the London Public Library. URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/evan-fraser-food-2050-challenge-feeding-9-billion/ LOCATION:Wolf Performance Hall – Central Library\, 251 Dundas St\, London\, Ontario\, N6A 6H9\, Canada CATEGORIES:Ecological Philosophy,Public Events,Public Lectures,Science and Values ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/fraserFCA.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20150918T113000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20150918T130000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20170818T174731Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220816T170745Z UID:18118-1442575800-1442581200@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Peter Singer: Animal Liberation\, Forty Years On DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nPeter Singer’s Animal Liberation\, often credited with starting the modern animal rights movement\, was first published in September 1975. In this lecture\, the author assesses how well the argument has stood up over that period\, and what progress has been made towards the changes in our treatment of animals that the book advocates.\n \nSPEAKER PROFILE\n\nPhoto by Tony Phillips – ICEL 2014 \nPeter Singer is an Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. From 2005 on\, he has also held the part-time position of Laureate Professor at the University of Melbourne\, first in the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics\, and then in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies. \nPeter Singer first became well-known internationally after the publication of Animal Liberation. His other books include: Democracy and Disobedience; Practical Ethics; The Expanding Circle; Marx; Hegel; Animal Factories (with Jim Mason); The Reproduction Revolution (with Deane Wells)\, Should the Baby Live? (with Helga Kuhse)\, How Are We to Live?\, Rethinking Life and Death\, Ethics into Action\, A Darwinian Left\, One World\, Pushing Time Away\, The President of Good and Evil\, How Ethical is Australia? (with Tom Gregg)\, The Way We Eat (with Jim Mason) and The Life You Can Save. He also co-authored The Greens with Bob Brown\, founder of the Australian Greens. Books he has edited or co-edited include Test-Tube Babies; In Defence of Animals; Applied Ethics; Animal Rights and Human Obligations; Embryo Experimentation; A Companion to Ethics; The Great Ape Project: Equality Beyond Humanity\, Ethics\, A Companion to Bioethics\, Bioethics: An Anthology\, The Moral of the Story\, In Defense of Animals: The Second Wave and Stem Cell Research: The Ethical Issues. His works have appeared in more than 20 languages. He is the author of the major article on Ethics in the current edition of the Encylopaedia Britannica. Two collections of his writings have been published: Writings on an Ethical Life\, which he edited\, and Unsanctifying Human Life\, edited by Helga Kuhse. There are also two collections of critical essays about his work\, which include his responses: Singer and His Critics\, edited by Dale Jamieson\, and Peter Singer Under Fire\, edited by Jeffrey Schaler. The latter includes a 75 page “Intellectual Autobiography.” \nPeter Singer was the founding President of the International Association of Bioethics\, and with Helga Kuhse\, founding co-editor of the journal Bioethics. Outside academic life\, is the co-founder\, and President\, of The Great Ape Project\, an international effort to obtain basic rights for chimpanzees\, gorillas and orangutans. He is also President of Animal Rights International. \nRead more about Peter Singer.\n \nEVENT POSTER\n\n\nDownload a copy of the event poster.\n \nEVENT VIDEO URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/peter-singer-animal-liberation-forty-years/ LOCATION:Great Hall – Somerville House\, Somerville House\, Western University\, London\, Ontario\, N6G 2V4\, Canada CATEGORIES:Ethics,Public Events,Public Lectures,Rotman Lectures,Science and Values ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/singer2FCA.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20150917T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20150917T163000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20170818T175047Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220816T170756Z UID:18122-1442502000-1442507400@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Peter Singer: The Most Good You Can Do: How Effective Altruism is Changing Ideas About Living Ethically DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nEffective altruism is built upon the simple but profound idea that living a fully ethical life involves doing the “most good you can do.” Such a life requires an unsentimental view of charitable giving: to be a worthy recipient of our support\, an organization must be able to demonstrate that it will do more good with our money or our time than other options open to us.  In this talk\, Singer will introduce us to an array of remarkable people who are restructuring their lives in accordance with these ideas\, and show how effective altruism challenges common views about the choice between different good causes. \nSPEAKER PROFILE\n\nPhoto by Tony Phillips – ICEL 2014 \nPeter Singer is an Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. From 2005 on\, he has also held the part-time position of Laureate Professor at the University of Melbourne\, first in the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics\, and then in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies. \nPeter Singer first became well-known internationally after the publication of Animal Liberation. His other books include: Democracy and Disobedience; Practical Ethics; The Expanding Circle; Marx; Hegel; Animal Factories (with Jim Mason); The Reproduction Revolution (with Deane Wells)\, Should the Baby Live? (with Helga Kuhse)\, How Are We to Live?\, Rethinking Life and Death\, Ethics into Action\, A Darwinian Left\, One World\, Pushing Time Away\, The President of Good and Evil\, How Ethical is Australia? (with Tom Gregg)\, The Way We Eat (with Jim Mason) and The Life You Can Save. He also co-authored The Greens with Bob Brown\, founder of the Australian Greens. Books he has edited or co-edited include Test-Tube Babies; In Defence of Animals; Applied Ethics; Animal Rights and Human Obligations; Embryo Experimentation; A Companion to Ethics; The Great Ape Project: Equality Beyond Humanity\, Ethics\, A Companion to Bioethics\, Bioethics: An Anthology\, The Moral of the Story\, In Defense of Animals: The Second Wave and Stem Cell Research: The Ethical Issues. His works have appeared in more than 20 languages. He is the author of the major article on Ethics in the current edition of the Encylopaedia Britannica. Two collections of his writings have been published: Writings on an Ethical Life\, which he edited\, and Unsanctifying Human Life\, edited by Helga Kuhse. There are also two collections of critical essays about his work\, which include his responses: Singer and His Critics\, edited by Dale Jamieson\, and Peter Singer Under Fire\, edited by Jeffrey Schaler. The latter includes a 75 page “Intellectual Autobiography.” \nPeter Singer was the founding President of the International Association of Bioethics\, and with Helga Kuhse\, founding co-editor of the journal Bioethics. Outside academic life\, he is the co-founder\, and President\, of The Great Ape Project\, an international effort to obtain basic rights for chimpanzees\, gorillas and orangutans. He is also President of Animal Rights International. \nRead more about Peter Singer. \nEVENT POSTER\n\n\nDownload a copy of the event poster.\n \nEVENT VIDEO URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/peter-singer-good-can-effective-altruism-changing-ideas-living-ethically/ LOCATION:Great Hall – Somerville House\, Somerville House\, Western University\, London\, Ontario\, N6G 2V4\, Canada CATEGORIES:Ethics,Public Events,Public Lectures,Rotman Lectures,Science and Values ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/singer1FCA.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20150306T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20150306T120000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20170818T181402Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220816T170806Z UID:18138-1425637800-1425643200@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Elisabeth Lloyd: The Orgasm Wars DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nThere has been a fierce battle occurring among people who explain the evolution of human female orgasm\, about its evolutionary origins and nature. The core issue is that the female orgasm presents an evolutionary puzzle. Unlike the male orgasm\, female orgasm is not associated with any increase in fertility or reproductive success. Several types of theories have been offered for the evolution of the trait\, but I shall show that only one of them has very much evidence supporting it\, while the others are flawed by conflicts with the evidence. Oddly\, these conflicts went unnoticed for many years by the scientists themselves\, through the operation of both sex bias and a bias of preferring adaptive explanations over other types of evolutionary explanations. I shall review the familiar theory that orgasm evolved to support the bond between the man and the woman\, as well as the theory that the sperm is sucked into the womb during orgasm with a high-quality male. The best-supported theory is the account stating that female orgasm is a bonus of direct selection on the male orgasm\, and is not a direct adaptation in the female that we can detect. I shall discuss the biases that led the biologists and the rest of the public astray\, that is\, that led to the widely-held but seemingly premature dismissal of the bonus account\, and the wide-spread acceptance of the unsupported accounts. \nSPEAKER PROFILE\n\n\nElisabeth Lloyd received her B.A. from the University of Colorado in 1980\, and her Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1984\, where she worked with Bas van Fraassen. She has received numerous awards and grants\, including several from the National Science Foundation. Her research interests are primarily in the philosophy of biology\, general philosophy of science\, the role of models in science\, and gender issues in science. She has recently taught courses in these areas as well as a graduate seminar on the American pragmatists\, and one of the philosophy surveys in our department. Her publications include The Structure and Confirmation of Evolutionary Theory (Greenwood Press\, 1988; Princeton University Press\, 1994) and “Feyerabend\, Mill\, and Pluralism” (Philosophy of Science\, 1997). \nProfessor Lloyd holds the Arnold and Maxine Tanis Chair of History and Philosophy of Science. She is also Professor of Biology\, Adjunct Professor of Philosophy\, Affiliated Faculty Scholar at the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex\, Gender and Reproduction\, and Adjunct Faculty at the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior. \nRead more about Elizabeth Lloyd. \nVIDEO URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/elisabeth-lloyd-orgasm-wars/ LOCATION:Ontario CATEGORIES:Philosophy of Biology,Public Lectures,Rotman Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/lloydFCA.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20150302T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20150302T160000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20170818T181852Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181018T184550Z UID:18142-1425304800-1425312000@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Robert DiSalle: Gravity\, Geometry\, and Philosophy: 100 Years in Einstein’s Universe DESCRIPTION:One hundred years ago\, in November 1915\, Albert Einstein achieved his long-sought theory of gravitation: the General Theory of Relativity. In developing the General Theory\, Einstein brought together ideas from philosophy\, mathematics\, and physics\, to create a remarkable new conception of gravity\, space\, and time. His work is a model of the engagement between philosophy and science that is the main mission of the Rotman Institute of Philosophy. To celebrate the achievements of the 20th century’s greatest philosopher-scientist\, the Rotman Institute is pleased to announce Einstein@Rotman 2015 – a year-long program of activities for both scholars and the general public\, centred around the stunning successes and enduring mysteries of Einstein’s ideas. \nABSTRACT\n\nIn this inaugural lecture\, you will learn how Einstein’s philosophical reflections on space\, time\, and gravity transformed our view of the nature and structure of the cosmos. \nSPEAKER PROFILE\n\n \nRobert DiSalle is a professor of philosophy at Western University\, and the author of “Understanding Space-Time: The Philosophical Development of Physics from Newton to Einstein” (Cambridge University Press). \nRead more about Robert Disalle. \n  \nVIDEO URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/robert-disalle-gravity-geometry-philosophy-100-years-einsteins-universe/ LOCATION:Wolf Performance Hall – Central Library\, 251 Dundas St\, London\, Ontario\, N6A 6H9\, Canada CATEGORIES:Einstein at Rotman,History of Philosophy of Science,Philosophy of Physics,Public Events,Public Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/inauguralFCA.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20131004T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20131004T170000 DTSTAMP:20260405T052001 CREATED:20170819T175113Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220816T170817Z UID:18327-1380898800-1380906000@www.rotman.uwo.ca SUMMARY:Naomi Oreskes: Merchants of Doubt: Using History and Philosophy of Science to Understand the Climate Change Debate DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT\n\nOn vital issues such as genetically-modified foods and climate change\, having correct scientific knowledge is vital for making good public policy. How does philosophy help us understand science? How strong is the scientific consensus about climate change\, and the effects our species has on it? Naomi Oreskes\, co-author of the award-winning book Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming\, has studied the climate change debate as a historian and philosopher\, and will explore the above questions\, and more. Oreskes courageous work to expose deliberate attempts to sow confusion and doubt about important issues\, such as climate change\, is not based in rhetoric\, as it is with some of the ‘merchants of doubt’ she writes about\, but on looking at science using philosophical techniques. \nSPEAKER PROFILE\n\n\nNaomi Oreskes is an American historian of science\, and Professor at Harvard University (where she moved in Summer 2013 from the University of California\, San Diego). She has worked on studies of geophysics\, environmental issues such as global warming\, and the history of science. In 2010\, Oreskes co-authored Merchants of Doubt\, which identified parallels between the climate change debate and earlier public controversies. \nRead more about Naomi Oreskes. \nThe evening will be moderated by Paul Kennedy\, host of Ideas on CBC Radio One. \n  \nVIDEO URL:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/event/naomi-oreskes-merchants-doubt-using-history-philosophy-science-understand-climate-change-debate/ LOCATION:Great Hall – Somerville House\, Somerville House\, Western University\, London\, Ontario\, N6G 2V4\, Canada CATEGORIES:Ecological Philosophy,Public Events,Public Lectures,Rotman Lectures ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.rotman.uwo.ca/wp-content/uploads/oreskes-optmized-tb.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR