Chris Timpson

I am a Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at Brasenose College, Oxford and a Professor of Philosophy of Physics in the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford.

My research interests are in the philosophy of physics (especially quantum mechanics and quantum information theory), philosophy of science, and philosophy of mind and language.
I also have interests in the history of 20th Century analytic philosophy, particularly Wittgenstein, early and late.

Prior to arriving at Brasenose, I was a Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and Division of History and Philosophy of Science at Leeds.
Before that, I read for the undergraduate degree in Physics and Philosophy at The Queen's College, Oxford; and studied for the BPhil and DPhil there.

I served as Dean of Brasenose from 2010-2014 (that is, as the College Officer responsible for the welfare and discipline of the students of the college), as Vice-Chair of the Philosophy Faculty Board 2016-2018, and Chair of the Philosophy Faculty Board 2018-2022. I was a Committee Member of the British Society for the Philosophy of Science from 2007-2013, and Honorary Secretary of the Society 2010-2013.

Me


Research

Quantum Information Theory and the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics

Book

My work on quantum information theory appeared as a monograph with OUP in 2013. doi. Some nice reviews.
My DPhil thesis of the same title, and of only partially overlapping content, is available from quant-ph/0412063.


My Google Scholar profile.

My Papers:

  1. `Bounding Quantum Correlations: The Role of the Shannon Information in the Information Causality Principle', with Natasha Oughton, in Entropy 26(7):562 (2024). Abstract. doi.

  2. `Why do we care about violating Bell inequalities?', in Oliver K Baker (ed.) Entanglement in High Energy Physics, IntechOpen (2023). Abstract. doi. arxiv

  3. `How is there a physics of information? On characterising physical evolution as information processing', with Owen Maroney, in M. Cuffaro & S. Fletcher (eds.) Physical Perspectives on Computation, Computational Perspectives on Physics Cambridge University Press (2018) pp. 103-126 Abstract. doi. PITT Phil Sci

  4. `On the thermodynamical cost of some interpretations of quantum theory', with Carina Prunkl, in Stud. Hist. Phil Mod. Phys., 63:114-122 (2018). Abstract. doi. arxiv

  5. `Bell on Bell's Theorem: The Changing Face of Nonlocality', with H.R. Brown, in S. Gao and M. Bell (eds.) Quantum Nonlocality and Reality: 50 Years of Bell's Theorem (Cambridge University Press 2016) pp. 91-123. Abstract. doi. arxiv

  6. `The Philosophy of Quantum Information' in L. Floridi (ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Information (Routledge 2016) pp.219-234. Abstract. doi.

  7. `Quantum vs Macro- Realism: What does the Leggett-Garg Inequality actually test?', with Owen Maroney. Abstract. arxiv.

  8. `Probabilities in Realist Views of Quantum Mechanics', in C. Beisbart and S. Hartmann (eds.) Probabilities in Physics (Oxford University Press 2011) pp. 201-230. Abstract. doi. Long Version

  9. `Quantum Mechanics on Spacetime I: Spacetime State Realism', with David Wallace, Brit. J. Phil. Sci. 61(4):696-727 (2010). Abstract. doi. arxiv

  10. `Rabid Dogma? Comments on Bub and Pitowsky', in S. Saunders, J. Barrett, A. Kent, and W. Wallace (eds) Many Worlds? Everett, Realism and Quantum Mechanics (Oxford University Press 2010) pp. 460-466. Abstract. doi.

  11. `Building with Quantum Correlations', with H.R. Brown, Quantum Information Processing 9(2):307-320 (2010). Abstract. doi.

  12. `Quantum Bayesianism: A Study', Stud. Hist Phil. Mod Phys. 39(3):579-609 (2008). Abstract. doi. arxiv:quant-ph.

  13. `Information, Immaterialism, Instrumentalism: Old and New in Quantum Information, in A. Bokulich and G. Jaeger (eds.) Philosophy of Quantum Information and Entanglement (Cambridge University Press 2010) pp.208-227. Abstract. doi.

  14. `Philosophical Aspects of Quantum Information Theory' in D. Rickles (ed.) The Ashgate Companion to the New Philosophy of Physics (Ashgate 2008). Abstract. arxiv:quant-ph/0611187.

  15. `Non-locality and gauge freedom in Deutsch and Hayden's formulation of quantum mechanics', with David Wallace, Foundations of Physics 37(6):951-955 (2007). Abstract. doi. arxiv:quant-ph/0503149.

  16. `Why special relativity should not be a template for a fundamental reformulation of quantum mechanics', with H.R.Brown, in Physical Theory and its Interpretation: Essays in Honor of Jeffrey Bub, Demopoulos and Pitowsky (eds.) Springer (2006). Abstract. doi. arxiv:quant-ph/0601182.

  17. `The Grammar of Teleportation', Brit. J. Phil. Sci. 57:587-621 (2006). Abstract. doi. arxiv:quant-ph/0509048.

  18. `Proper and Improper Separability', with H.R. Brown, The International Journal of Quantum Information 3(4):679-690 (2005). Abstract. doi. arxiv:quant-ph/0402094.

  19. `Nonlocality and Information Flow: The approach of Deutsch and Hayden', Foundations of Physics 35(2):313-43, 2005. Abstract. doi. arxiv:quant-ph/0312155.

  20. `Quantum Computers: The Church-Turing Hypothesis versus the Turing Principle', in Alan Turing: Life and Legacy of a Great Thinker C. Teuscher (ed), Springer-Verlag (2004). Abstract. doi.

  21. `Entanglement and Relativity', with H.R. Brown; in Understanding Physical Knowledge V. Fano and R. Lupacchini (eds.), University of Bologna, CLUEB 2002. Abstract. arxiv:quant-ph/0212140.

  22. `The Applicability of Shannon Information in Quantum Mechanics and Zeilinger's Foundational Principle', Phil. Sci. 70(5):1233-44, 2002. Abstract. doi. PITT Phil Sci.

  23. `On a Supposed Conceptual Inadequacy of the Shannon Information in Quantum Mechanics', Stud. Hist. Phil. Mod. Phys. 35(4):441-68, 2003. Abstract. doi. arxiv:quant-ph/0112178.

Preprints
  • `Black Hole Entropy is Thermodynamic Entropy', with Carina Prunkl. Abstract. arxiv.


    Talks, Podcasts, Interviews, etc.

    1. Featured in 'A New Kind of Experiment at the LHC Could Unravel Quantum Reality' New Scientist.
    2. Debate, with Tim Palmer 'Superdeterminism and No-conspiracy Revisited' Oxford Philosophy of Physics Seminar, November 2023 Youtube.
    3. Podcast, Great Mysteries of Physics 4: Does Objective Reality Exist? The Conversation.
    4. Talk, `QBism, Ontology, and Explanation' Harvard Foundations of Physics Seminar, May 2021. Youtube.
    5. Talk, `A Tale of Two QBisms (Realism, more or less)' Quantum Limits of Knowledge Conference, Geneva, March 2021. Youtube.
    6. Panel discussion, `Is Reality an Illusion?' How the Light Gets In festival, London, September 2018. Youtube.
    7. Podcast, `Could Quantum Computing Change the World?', Oxford 2019. Futuremakers
    8. Interview with Olivia Gordon here.
    9. Talk, `What is Quantum Information' Buenos Aires workshop May 2018. Youtube.
    10. Talk, `Timelike Experimental Metaphysics' Edinburgh October 2014. Youtube.
    11. Talk, `Ontology of the Quantum State: Wavefunction vs Spacetime State Realism', PIAF New Perspectives on the Quantum State Conference, Perimeter Institute, Canada, September 2009. PIRSA
    12. Talk, `What would a consistent instrumentalism be? Or, Why Wigner's friendly after all', Quantum Foundations seminar, Perimeter Institute, Canada, September 2009. PIRSA.
    13. Talk, `Quantum Bayesianism: Pros and Cons', Reconstructing Quantum Theory Conference, Perimeter Institute, Canada, August 2009. PIRSA.


    Contact Details:
    Prof. C.G. Timpson,
    Brasenose College,
    Oxford,
    OX1 4AJ, UK

    email: christopher.timpson@bnc.ox.ac.uk

    This site is under construction. Last modified 5.4.23