me

What's New

My massive book, What Makes Time Special?, is in its final stages of preparation! I'm also working on black hole thermodynamics (with John Dougherty), time in cosmology (with Casey McCoy), and the "sense of time" (with Anncy Thresher). My paper One World, One Beable is now out. This academic year I'm on sabbatical in the Fall; teaching PHIL 26 Science, Society & Values in the Winter; and teaching PHIL 148 Environmental Ethics and a graduate seminar with Chip Sebens on quantum mechanics in the Spring. I'm giving talks at UC Davis, Brown, NYU, Oxford and the Pac APA.

About Me

I'm a Professor of Philosophy at UC San Diego. I've been here since 2001. Previously I was in the Department of Philosophy, Logic & Scientific Method at the London School of Economics. Before that I obtained my Ph.D. from Rutgers University in 1997.

My main areas of research are:

I also have serious teaching interests in environmental ethics, among other topics.

I'm particularly interested in the intersection of time and modern science, the interpretation of quantum mechanics, the foundations of statistical mechanics, the metaphysics of science, and various issues about spacetime. My large draft manuscript tries to show how our manifest image of time might arise in creatures embedded in a world like ours. Not long ago I worked on phase transitions, the equivalence principle, the nature of the quantum state, and various temporal value asymmetries. I've published in philosophy, physics, and law journals — here is a (probably out-of-date) CV. 

When not working, hurt, or with my wonderful family, I'm probably playing basketball or training for SUP racing.

Here are some links relevant to our very active philphysics community: Southern California Philosophy of Physics Reading Group, the UCSD Philosophy of Physics Research Group and the UCSD Philosophy of Science Reading Group. Email if interested in any of these activities.