Philosophical Issues in Thermodynamics, Statistical Mechanics, and Information Theory
April 14-27, 2026

Monday, 27 April 2026
“Thermodynamics without Time”
Francesca Vidotto

Our fundamental theories, i.e., the quantum theory and general relativity, are invariant under time reversal. Only when we treat system from the point of view of thermodynamics, i.e., averaging between many subsystem components, an arrow of time emerges. The relation between thermodynamic and the quantum theory has been fertile, deeply explored and still a source of new investigations. The relation between the quantum theory and gravity, while it has not yet brought an established theory of quantum gravity, has certainly sparkled in depth analysis and tentative new theories. On the other hand, the connection between gravity and thermodynamics is less investigated and more puzzling.

Full presentation on the FTL website.

Informations and registration
associazione.ratio@usi.ch