Hi, I’m Jack Johnson, and I’m a philosopher of physics working on questions in statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, probability, and the arrow of time. I originally studied Physics and Philosophy at Oxford, before moving to Canada for a PhD in Philosophy at Western University supervised by Wayne Myrvold.

My route back to Oxford — and to Pembroke — was fairly indirect. After graduating, I spent a couple of years working as a nuclear engineer, doing computational physics and simulation. I enjoyed the technical work, but I kept being drawn back to the conceptual questions behind the physics, which eventually led me to the PhD. My research now focuses on equilibration in quantum systems and, more broadly, on how apparently irreversible behaviour emerges from underlying physical theories.

Teaching has also been a big part of my life. At Pembroke, I tutor logic and Philosophy of Science. At Western I taught relativity and cosmology on Einstein for Everyone, as well as introductory philosophy and philosophy of AI. I’ve also spent several years tutoring physics, maths, and philosophy one-to-one, so I especially enjoy discussion-based teaching.

What I love about philosophy of physics is that it sits right at the boundary between technical science and very basic conceptual questions. Physics gives us incredibly successful theories, but there is still a lot to ask about what those theories mean, what they explain, and what picture of the world we should take from them. That combination is what keeps the subject interesting for me.

PhD thesis: here.

Link to a popular YouTube video, written by Jack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=XY-mbr-aAZE