Back to Labs
Philosophy of PhysicsVerified Info
Barandes Group
Principal Investigator: Jacob Barandes
About the Lab
I work in an area called philosophy of physics, which is closely connected to several areas of analytic philosophy.
What Research Looks Like
Reading papers and books, writing, detailed discussions, one-on-one and group meetings, some calculations (mostly by hand), and some simulations.
Example Undergraduate Projects
- None so far — this is a developing research group
Prerequisites & Skills
Interest in quantum foundations. Previous exposure to philosophy of science at the introductory level, 100-level courses in analytic philosophy, undergraduate quantum mechanics, proof-based mathematics, elementary probability theory, and basic statistics.
Before You Reach Out
My work is interdisciplinary and mathematically rigorous. Students should be comfortable with philosophy, statistics, and mathematics, not just physics. That said, students who are jointly concentrating in physics and philosophy should be fine.
Also, philosophy of physics is a bit of a niche field, with a significant risk/benefit ratio. Not all physics graduate schools understand what it is or why it's important, for complicated historical and sociological reasons. So students planning to go to graduate school in physics should think seriously about whether this would make their applications as strong as they could be.
Where Students Go After
None so far
Contact Information
At a Glance
Time Commitment
10 hours per week
Undergrads per Semester
0 currently. In principle, 1 or 2.
Typical Project Length
Ideally 1 year
Minimum Commitment
At least 2 semesters
Co-authorship Policy
Yes
Group Meetings
Every 2 weeks
Interested in joining?
Reach out to Jacob Barandes via email to express your interest in undergraduate research.