Entropy

Summer School: The Nature of Entropy – Arrow of Time

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Arrow of Time

The Nature of Entropy II: Arrow of Time.
NEW DATE AND LOCATION: August 1 – 6, 2022; Kochel am See, Germany

Why is there an arrow of time in a universe guided, on the fundamental level, by time-symmetric microscopic laws? What role does entropy play in explaining the difference between past and future? Is the passage of time real or just a stubborn illusion?

The interdisciplinary summer school wants to tackle these questions head-on. By bringing together young researchers, graduate students, and internationally acclaimed experts working on statistical mechanics, quantum foundations, and the philosophy of science, we will investigate the nature of time in light of modern physics and clarify its relation to entropy. 

Summer School: The Nature of Entropy I

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Boltzmann

The Nature of Entropy I: From thermodynamics to black holes.
22 – 27 July 2019 in Saig, Germany.

Entropy is a central physical concept. Considerations about entropy have been indispensable, from its introduction into thermodynamics by Clausius, to the statistical mechanics of Boltzmann and Gibbs, to debates over black hole entropy which is arguably our best guide to a theory of quantum gravity. But do we really understand what entropy is and how it comes to appear in physical laws?

By bringing together young researchers, PhD students, and internationally acclaimed experts working on statistical mechanics, cosmology and the philosophy of science, this international summer school will investigate the notion of entropy, highlight its role at the forefront of modern physics, and discuss related philosophical issues.