GIACINTO PLESCIA Valia Allori

 

Valia Allori

Valia
Allori

Associate Professor of Philosophy, Northern Illinois University
Zulaf
Hall 913, Dekalb, 60115 ILE-mail:
vallori@niu.edu 
Webpage:
http://www.niu.edu/~vallori/


Research
Interests: Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Physics, Metaphysics

Special
Interest: Bohmian
Mechanics

---

Overview: 

Valia
Allori has studied physics and philosophy first in Italy, her home
country, and then in the United States. She has worked in the
foundations of quantum mechanics, in particular in the framework of
Bohmian mechanics, a quantum theory without observers. Her main
concern has always been to understand what the world is really like,
and how we can use our best physical theory to answer such general
metaphysical questions. In her physics doctoral dissertation, she
discussed the classical limit of quantum mechanics, to analyze the
connections between the quantum and the classical theories. What does
it mean that a theory, in a certain approximation, reduces to
another? Is the classical explanation of macroscopic phenomena
essentially different from the one provided by quantum mechanics? In
her philosophy doctoral dissertation she turned to more general
questions that involve the structure of fundamental physical
theories, the metaphysical status and the epistemological role of the
theoretical entities used in these theories. Do all fundamental
physical theories have the very same structure, contrarily to what
one might think? If so, what is this telling us about the nature of
explanation? She has worked mainly in collaboration with Detlef
Duerr, Sheldon Goldstein, Roderich Tumulka and Nino Zanghi in Bohmian
mechanics, writing several articles with them. She is also co-author
of a book on the philosophy and foundations of physics, written in
Italian, together with Mauro Dorato, Federico Laudisa and Nino
Zanghi. The book, "La Natura delle Cose" ("The Nature
of Things"), has been written for a philosophy or a physics
student who is interested in the main problems of the theory of
relativity, statistical mechanics, quantum theory and causation, but
it might be accessible, even if with some effort, by an interested
reader.

• 
  
  Personal
  background
• 
  Teaching

---

---

Curriculum
vitae 

• PDF(
  longer version)
  

---

Education

• Ph.
  D., Philosophy, Rutgers University, Fall 2007 (defense date: May 14,
  2007).
  
  • Thesis
    Title: "Fundamental Physical Theories:
    Mathematical Structures grounded on a Primitive Ontology."
    
    
    
  • Supervisor:
    Tim Maudlin (Philosophy Department, Rutgers University). 
    Committee: Frank Arntzenius, Barry Loewer (Philosophy Department,
    Rutgers University), Sheldon Goldstein (Department of Mathematics,
    Physics and Philosophy, Rutgers University), David Z. Albert
    (Philosophy Department, Columbia University).
    
    
• Ph.
  D., Physics, University of Genova (Italy), Fall 2001 (defense date
  December 5, 2001).
  
  
  • Thesis
    Title: "Decoherence and the Classical Limit
    of Quantum Mechanics."
    
    
  • Supervisor:
    Nino Zanghi (Physics Department, University of Genova, Italy).
    Committee: Detlef Duerr (Mathematics Department, University of
    Munich, Germany), Lodovico Lanz (Physics Department, University of
    Milano, Italy).
    
    
• Certificate
  in Scientific Communication, University of Milano (Italy), Fall
  1999.
  
• Laurea
  (M.A.), Physics (Summa cum laude), University of Milano
  (Italy), Spring 1997 (defense date: March 26 1997).
  
  
  • Thesis
    Title: "Interaction of 12C with
    103Rh at Energies greater than 33 MeV/nucleon."
    
    
  • Committee:
    Ettore Gadioli (supervisor), Claudio Birattari, Roberto Bonetti,
    University of Milano (Italy).  
    

---

Area
of Specialization

• Philosophy
  of Physics, Philosophy of Science, Metaphysics.
  

---

Area of
Competence

• Logic.
  

---

---

Publications
(Philosophy)

---

Books

• Book
  Contract: "Dismantling Quantum
  Paradoxes,'' Springer-Verlag.
  
  
• "La
  Natura delle Cose: Introduzione ai Fondamenti e alla Filosofia della
  Fisica," (transl.: "The Nature of Things: Introduction
  to the Philosophy and the Foundation of Physics"), (with M.
  Dorato, F. Laudisa, N. Zanghi) Carocci eds., Roma (2005).
  
  • Table
    of Contents 
    
  • Introduction 
    
  • Press
    Release
    
  • Reviews
    

---

Articles and Book Chapters

• "How to Make Sense of Quantum Mechanics (and More): Fundamental Physical Theories and Primitive Ontology".In (U. Edvinsson ed.): The Mammoth Book of Quantum Mechanics Interpretations. Open Academic Press  (forthcoming).
• "Primitive Ontology in a Nutshell", International Journal of Quantum Foundations 1 (3): 107-122 (2015). 
• Reply to Authors: "The Road to Maxwell's Demon," by Meir Hemmo and Orly R. Shenker. International Studies in the Philosophy of Science  (forthcoming). doi: 10.1080/02698595.2015.1079077
• "Maxwell's Paradox: Classical Electrodynamics and its Time Reversal Invariance." Analytica (on-line at: http://www.analytica.phs.uoa.gr/%CE%B1nalytica%20|2015_1.%20Allori_Maxwell'sParadox.pdf).
• "Quantum Mechanics and Paradigm Shifts."Topoi (first on-line: 05 March 2015). doi: 10.1007/s11245-014-9295-y
• "Predictions
  and Primitive Ontology in Quantum Foundations: A Study of
  Examples."  The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 65 (2): 323-352 (2014)  --
  (with S. Goldstein, R. Tumulka, and N. Zanghi).   doi: 10.1093/bjps/axs048
  
• "On
  the Metaphysics of Quantum Mechanics.'' In:  S. Lebihan
  (ed.),"Precis de la Philosophie de la Physique," Vuibert
  (2013).    ISBN : 978-2-311-01100-5
  
  
• "Primitive
  Ontology and the Structure of Fundamental Physical Theories."
  In: D. Albert, A. Ney (eds.), "The Wave Function: Essays in
  the Metaphysics of Quantum Mechanics." Oxford University Press
  (2013).doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199790807.001.0001  
  
• "Many-Worlds
  and Schroedinger's First Quantum Theory."  The
  British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
  62 (1), 1--27 (2011) --
  (with S. Goldstein, R. Tumulka, and N. Zanghi).  doi: 10.1093/bjps/axp053
  
  
  
• "La
  storia del gatto che era sia vivo che morto'' (transl: ''The
  Story of the Cat that was both Dead and Alive''). In: E. Giannetto,
  G. Giannini (eds.), "Da Archimede a Majorana: la fisica nel suo
  divenire:" 273-283.
  Guaraldi
  (2009). ASIN: B00HZLTL8Y
  
• "On
  the Classical Limit of Quantum Mechanics." 
  Foundations
  of Physics 39 (1): 20-32 (2009) -- (with N. Zanghi). doi: 10.1007/s10701-008-9259-4
  
  
• "On
  the Common Structure of Bohmian Mechanics and the
  Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber Theory." The
  British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
  59 (3): 353-389 (2008) -- (with S. Goldstein, R. Tumulka, and N.
  Zanghi). doi: 10.1093/bjps/axn012
• "Ontologie
  Quantistiche di Particelle, Campi e Lampi" (transl.:
  “Quantum Ontologies of Particles, Fields and Flashes").
  In: V. Fano and M. Antonelli (eds.), "Strutture dello spazio
  tra fisica e psicologia," Teorie
  e Modelli XII,
  III: 9-29 (2007) -- (with N. Zanghi).
  
• "E'
  completa la descrizione della realta' fisica fornita dalla
  meccanica quantistica?" (transl.: “Is the
  Quantum-Mechanical Description of Physical Reality Complete?”) Il
  Protagora. 9: 163-180 (2007)
  -- 
  (with N. Zanghi).
  
  
  
• "What
  is Bohmian Mechanics." International
  Journal of Theoretical Physics
  43: 1743-1755 (2004) -- (with N. Zanghi). doi: 10.1023/B:IJTP.0000048817.79384.2a
  
  
• "Seven
  Steps Toward the Classical World." Journal
  of Optics
  B 4: 482–488 (2002)--(with D. Duerr, S. Goldstein, N.
  Zanghi). doi:10.1088/1464-4266/4/4/344  
  

---

Book Reviews

• Book
  Review of "The Road to Maxwell's Demon: Conceptual Foundations
  of Statistical Mechanics,"
  by Meir Hemmo and Orly R. Shenker. International
  Studies in the Philosophy of Science  27 (4): 451-454 (2013). doi :10.1080/02698595.2013.868179 
  
  
  
• Book
  Review of "Do
  We Really Understand Quantum Mechanics?"
  by Franck Laloe; Notre
  Dame Philosophical Review (2013).
  
  
  
• Book
  Review of "Everywhere and Everywhen, Adventures in Physics and
  Philosophy," by Nick Huggett; Notre
  Dame Philosophical Review (2011).
  
  
  
• Book
  Review of "Quantum Mechanics- a Philosopher's Overview,"
  by Salvator Cannavo; International
  Studies in the Philosophy of Science
  24 (3), 330-333 (2010). doi:  10.1080/02698595.2010.522416
  
• Book
  review of "The Kantian legacy in the Nineteenth -Century
  Science,'' M. Friedman, and A. Nordmann (eds.); Journal
  of the History of Philosophy
  47 (3), 478-479 (2009). doi: 10.1353/hph.0.0128  
  

---

---

Publications
(Physics)

---

Articles/Book
Chapters/ Conferences Proceedings

• "Observation
  of the Doppler Broad and Shift of the Gamma Lines of residues
  Produced in the interaction of 400 MeV 12C Ions with 63Cu." In:
  "Proceedings of the International Conference on Nuclear
  Physics," Berkeley, CA (2001) -- (with E.
  Gadioli, et al.).
  
• "Angular
  Distributions and Forward Recoil Range Distributions of the Residues
  Created in the Interaction of 12C and 16O ions with 103Rh."
  Nuclear
  Physics A
  641: 271–296 (1998) -- (with E. Gadioli, et
  al.).
• "Low
  Linear Momentum and Energy Transfer Reactions in the Interaction of
  12C with 103Rh." In: "Proceedings of the 8^th 
  International Conference on Heavy Nucleon Reaction,"
  Paris, France (1998) -- (with E. Gadioli et
  al.).
  
• "The
  Interaction of 12C  and 16O with 103Rh."
  Acta
  Physica Hungarica New Series -Heavy Ion Physics
  7 (now European
  Physical Journal A - Hadrons & Nuclei):
  275-287, (1998) -- (with E. Gadioli, et
  al.).
• "Exitation
  Functions, Angular Momentum and Recoil Range Distributions of
  Resideues Created in Heavy-Ion Reactions." In: "Proceedings
  of the South African Institute of Physics National Conference,"
  Cape Town, South Africa (1998) --(with E.
  Gadioli, et al.).
  
  
  
• "Spectra
  of Alpha Particles Emitted in the Interaction of 12C with 93Nb."
  NAC Annual Report (1998). (with M. Cavinato, et al.).
  
• "A
  Comprehensive Study of the Interaction of 12C with 103Rh
  up to 33 MeV/nucleon." In: E. Gadioli (ed.), "Ricerca
  Scientifica ed Educazione Permanente," Suppl. 111: 171-181
  (1997) -- (with E. Gadioli, et
  al.).
  
  
  
• "Comprehensive
  Study of the Reaction of 12C with 103Rh up to 33 MeV/nucleon."
  Physics
  Letters
  B 394: 29–36, (1997) -- (with E. Gadioli, et
  al.).
  
• "Study
  of the Interaction of 12C and 16O with 103Rh." NAC Annual
  Report (1997) -- (with E. Gadioli, et
  al.).
• "Comprehensive
  Study of the Interaction of 12C with Nuclei." In: G. Giardina,
  G. Fazio, M. Lattuada (eds.), "Large Scale Collective Motion of
  Atomic Nuclei." World Scientific (1996) -- (with E. Gadioli, et
  al.). 
  

---

---

Conferences
and Talks

---

---

Interviews

• "Rolling
  Stone Magazine -Italia"
  (in Italian)  
  
• "La
  Soglia Oscura" (Part
  1
  and 2, 
  in Italian) 
  
  
  

---

• Google
  Scholar Profile
• Academia.edu
  Profile
  
• PhilPapers
  
• ResearchGate
• Linkedin
• Facebook
  
• Google+
  
• Twitter
  

---

Back
to NIU Philosophy Department Homepage

317