John Bickle: Unnoticed Features of Exploratory Experiments from the 60-Year History of the N-methyl – D-aspartate (NMDA) Receptor
Room 4190 - Western Interdisciplinary Research Building Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, Room 4190, London, Ontario, CanadaAbstract: The structure, function and activities of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) now stand among neurobiology’s greatest discoveries. This history is fascinating in and of itself. It spanned more than sixty years, from initial investigations in the late-1950s into glutamate as a purported neurotransmitter, to successes less than a decade ago in finally getting X-ray-crystallographic [...]
Ethical Issues in Artificial Intelligence: 2023 Annual Library Lecture Series
Lawson Room - Central Library 251 Dundas Street - London Public Library Wolf Performance Hall, London, Ontario, CanadaEVENT DESCRIPTION Each year, the Rotman Institute of Philosophy organizes a public lecture series co-sponsored with the London Public Library and the Department of Philosophy. The theme for this year's lecture series is Ethical Issues in Artificial Intelligence. Abstract Questions about Artificial Intelligence and its appropriate use overwhelm recent discourse about technology. What is [...]
(Dis)Trust and AI: Perspectives from Across Disciplines and Sectors
Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre 551 Windermere Road, London, Ontario, CanadaConcerns about trust, distrust, and artificial intelligence (AI) are on the rise as our societies become more and more exposed to these technologies. This event will focus on pressing questions under the general theme of (dis)trust and AI and bring together people working in different academic disciplines and sectors of society to collaborate in [...]
Nancy Nersessian: Interdisciplinarity in the Making: Models and Methods in Frontier Science
Room 1130 - Western Interdisciplinary Research Building Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, London, ON, CanadaThe Rotman Institute of Philosophy presents a dialogue with Nancy Nersessian, author of "Interdisciplinarity in the Making: Models and Methods in Frontier Science" Please note: Nancy Nersessian will be participating in the dialogue virtually. This is a hybrid event. If you cannot attend in person, please join us via Zoom (link to meeting). Book [...]
NEW DATE – Berna Devezer & Erkan Buzbas: Theoretical Insights on Replication: A Miracle or a Crutch?
Room 3000 - Western Interdisciplinary Research Building Western University, London, Ontario, CanadaPlease join the Rotman Institute in welcoming Berna Devezer and Erkan Buzbas to the institute December 1st! Please note, this will be a virtual event. Devezer will present, "Theoretical Insights on Replication: A Miracle or a Crutch?" at 11:30 am Lunch will be provided at 1:00 pm Buzbas will [...]
Charles Ling: Turing Test, Chinese Room, AGI, and GPTs
Room 4190 - Western Interdisciplinary Research Building Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, Room 4190, London, Ontario, CanadaAbstract: With the rapid development of large language models such as GPTs, many fundamental and philosophical issues of intelligence and the human mind can be re-visited. In this talk, I will explore these related topics to foster potential collaboration between different disciplines. Register to Attend Turing Test, Chinese Room, AGI, and GPTs Speaker [...]
Rotman Research Retreat: AI & Democracy
KRESGE BUILDING 1960 Middlesex Dr., London, Ontario, CanadaThis retreat will bring together researchers from across disciplines and departments at Western to look ahead to future normative, political, and technological dimensions of anticipated impacts that AI will have on democracies. There is already a substantial body of scholarship exploring the ways in which new technologies have impacted democratic practices and institutions and [...]
Philosophy of Physics Workshop: Foundations of Thermodynamics 2024
Arts & Humanities Building Room 1B04 Western University, London, ONEVENT DESCRIPTION In the past few decades there has been a transformation—some have called it a revolution—in the way that many physicists are approaching the science of thermodynamics. Philosophers of science have only recently begun to take notice of this transformation. This workshop, which brings together philosophers and physicists at is inspired by the [...]
Rotman Seminar: Pleasure Fundamentalism
Room 4190 - Western Interdisciplinary Research Building Western Interdisciplinary Research Building, Room 4190, London, Ontario, CanadaEVENT DESCRIPTION SPEAKER PROFILE: Neil Sinhababu is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the National University of Singapore. He is author of Humean Nature (2017), published by Oxford University Press; and Nietzsche on the Eternal Recurrence, forthcoming with Cambridge University Press. ABSTRACT: Pleasure fundamentalism is the view that moral value is pleasure, and this explains [...]
Rotman Graduate Student Conference 2024: Scientific Methodology
KRESGE BUILDING 1960 Middlesex Dr., London, Ontario, CanadaREGISTER NOW! Please click on the dates below to access the respective Zoom links. Sept-19 Sept-20 Overview 'The topic of this year's Rotman Graduate Student Conference is scientific methodology. The conference will host student speakers from various fields from physics and neuroscience to philosophy and cultural studies. The conference is [...]
Pragmatism and The Philosophy of Science: Fall 2024 Conference
Room 3000 - Western Interdisciplinary Research Building Western University, London, Ontario, CanadaPragmatism, with its focus on the human dimension of inquiry, offers a compelling lens through which to explore the nature, scope, and limits of scientific knowledge. This workshop will, building on recent work, explore topics at the intersection of pragmatism and philosophy of science, examining how pragmatism sheds light on scientific practice, success, and the interplay between metaphysics and epistemology.
Climate Change & Social Justice: 2024 Annual Library Lecture Series
Lawson Room - Central Library 251 Dundas Street - London Public Library Wolf Performance Hall, London, Ontario, CanadaEVENT DESCRIPTION Each year, the Rotman Institute of Philosophy organizes a public lecture series co-sponsored with the London Public Library and the Department of Philosophy. The theme for this year's lecture series is Climate Change & Social Justice. Please join us in welcoming Professor Anna Zalik (York University), Professor Bipasha Baruah (Western University), Professor [...]
RECAP: AI for Health and Social Justice
Goodwill Industries 255 Horton St E, London, ON, CanadaRECAP-Event-Rotman Story Research Engagement Collaborative Alliance with Partners (RECAP) and the Rotman Institute of Philosophy are co-hosting an event on AI for health and social justice, bringing together Western researchers and diverse individual and organization experts from across a variety of communities, industries, governments and not-for-profits to share perspectives, find common ground, build connections, and explore [...]
Duncanson Lecture: Come with Me Inside a Black Hole
Zoom webinar or Conron Hall, University College, Western University Western University - 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, CanadaThe 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! In "Come with Me [...]
Rotman Visiting Speaker: Chris Letheby
Room 3000 - Western Interdisciplinary Research Building Western University, London, Ontario, Canada"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 [...]
Generative Artificial Intelligence & Historiography
Room 3000 - Western Interdisciplinary Research Building Western University, London, Ontario, CanadaEVENT DESCRIPTION BIO: William J. Turkel is Professor of History at the University of Western Ontario and internationally recognized for his innovative work in digital history. He uses machine learning, text mining, and computational techniques in his study of the histories of science, technology and environment, drawing on many decades of programming experience. He [...]
Nerenberg Lecture Series: Francesca Vidotto
Conron Hall, Unversity College, Western University Western University - 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, CanadaThe 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.
Workshop: Cognition in Social Contexts: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Western Interdisciplinary Research Building Perth Dr., London, Ontario, CanadaZOOM LINK Workshop Registration Registration is now CLOSED. Thank you for your interest. See below for updated workshop program. In recent decades, many new research fields have emerged at the intersection of the social and cognitive sciences, such as cognitive sociology (e.g., Zerubavel, 1997), cognitive [...]
Research Retreat: Election Interference and Security In A Contested Infosphere
Weldon Library Community Room Western University - 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, CanadaJoin the Rotman Institute of Philosophy, the Electro-Governance Group (EGG), the Department of Political Science and the Starling Center for Just Technologies for a research retreat bringing together scholars from across disciplines and departments at Western to share research and perspectives on the political and security challenges to democracies arising from technological and political-economic [...]
Research Retreat: Human-AI Relationships
Room 3000 - Western Interdisciplinary Research Building Western University, London, Ontario, CanadaJoin The Rotman Institute of Philosophy for a Research Retreat on Human-AI Relationships. Who: Western University research community When: Thursday, May 08, 2025 Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Where: WIRB 3000, Western University The Rotman Institute of Philosophy is excited to host a one-day research retreat on the topic of Human-AI Relationships. Our goal is to bring [...]