Paradoxes in Philosophy of Science and Beyond

Catalog description

This course uses mind-bending paradoxes as an accessible gateway into foundational questions about the universe and our ability to understand it. The majority of the semester focuses on the philosophy of science, investigating logical puzzles that challenge our understanding of physical reality: Is motion an illusion? Does time actually flow? Is time travel logically possible? How does evidence actually confirm a scientific theory? In the final weeks, we step beyond the philosophy of science to explore the limits of human language and logic, examining how our vague concepts struggle to map onto the continuous physical world, and how statements can contradict their own truth value. No prior background in philosophy, physics, or mathematics is required.