Brian Allan Woodcock

Graduate Student in Logic & Philosophy of Science

 

Research Interests

The philosophical and conceptual foundations of physics, especially quantum mechanics. My current research involves examining the ways in which relativistic constraints interact with attempts to formulate a version of quantum mechanics that solves the quantum measurement problem. The standard formulation of quantum mechanics is not only inadequate as a solution to the quantum measurement problem but it is also incompatible with special relativity as the latter has been traditionally understood. It turns out that, on the one hand, the most plausible solutions to the quantum measurement problem seem invariably to be incompatible with relativity; and, on the other hand, versions of quantum mechanics that are compatible with relativity tend either to have completely ignored the quantum measurement problem or to provide solutions that seem quite implausible on other grounds.

My more general philosophical interests include general philosophy of science, epistemology, metaphysics, and logic

Education

Certificate in German, Michigan Technological University
B.S., Electrical Engineering, Michigan Technological University
M.A., Philosophy, Biola University
M.A., Philosophy, University of California, Irvine

Courses as Lecturer

  • Phil 30B, Intro. to Symbolic Logic II (S99)
  • LPS 30, Intro. to Symbolic Logic (Sum00,Sum01)

Courses as a Teaching Assistant

  • Phil 1, Intro. to Philosophy (W97,F97,W03)
  • Phil 4, Intro. to Ethics (S98)
  • Phil 12, History of Modern Philosophy (W99)
  • Phil 29, Critical Reasoning (F98,F00)
  • Phil 30A, Intro. to Symbolic Logic I (W98)
  • LPS 30, Intro. to Symbolic Logic I (W01,W02)
  • LPS 31, Intro. to Symbolic Logic I (S01)
  • Phil 142W, Philosophy of Biology (W00)
  • Physics 5LB, Fundamental Physics Lab II (S00)
  • Psych 7A, Intro. to Psychology (F99)

Contact Information

Office: SST 795
Email: bwoodcoc@uci.edu

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