SMuK 2023 – scientific programme

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AGPhil: Arbeitsgruppe Philosophie der Physik

AGPhil 2: Space and Time

AGPhil 2.2: Talk

Tuesday, March 21, 2023, 11:30–12:00, JAN/0027

A dynamical perspective on the arrow of time — •Kian Salimkhani — University of Cologne

It is standardly believed that the generally time-reversal symmetric fundamental laws of physics themselves cannot explain the apparent asymmetry of time. In particular, it is believed that CP violation is of no help. In this paper, I want to push back against a quick dismissal of CP violation as a potential source for the arrow of time and argue that it should be taken more seriously for conceptualising time in physics. I first recall that CP violation is a key feature of our best physical theory which also has large-scale explanatory import regarding the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe. I then investigate how CP violation may help to explain the directionality of time. I argue that accounts a la Maudlin that posit an intrinsic fundamental direction of time are not convincing and instead propose to utilise recent results from work on the dynamical approach to relativity theory.