What Do Quantum Mechanics and Relativity Tell Us About Who We Are?
September 14 & 21, 2025
Class Description
Dr. Demarest will explain (partially!) the theories of special and general relativity and show how the speed of light and the structure of spacetime shape our experience of persisting through time. I will also explain an interpretation of quantum mechanics called the ‘many worlds’ interpretation and describe how it implies that each of us will live out many different future paths.
About Heather Demarest
Heather is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado. She specializes in philosophy of science, metaphysics, and philosophy of physics, particularly the ways in which statistical mechanics, relativity, and quantum mechanics ought to inform our ideas about the laws of nature, personal identity, chance, and complexity. She double majored in physics and philosophy at CU, (earning summa cum laude in each); she earned a master’s degree in philosophy (BPhil) from Oxford University and a PhD in philosophy from Rutgers University. She lives with her husband and three kids in her hometown, Boulder, Colorado.