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Guy Hetzroni

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The Open University of Israel Department of Natural Sciences University Road 1, P.O.B. 808 Ra’anana 4353701, Israel
Office:09-7781764 Email:guyhe@openu.ac.il

I am a philosopher working on questions at the intersection of the philosophy of science and theoretical physics. My research focuses on the epistemological foundations of general relativity, quantum theory, and particle physics, and on the implications of these fields on scientific knowledge and scientific realism. Some of my recent papers aim to provide a better understanding of the concept of symmetry in contemporary physics, focusing on its application in particle physics and gravitational theories. Some of my ongoing projects concern the compatibility of mathematical reasoning in theoretical physics and naturalist epistemology (see this draft, comments are welcome), and the role of consensus and controversy in scientific progress.  

Since 2019 I organize the Philosophy of Physics Discussion Club (join the mailing list here). I also serve as a convener of the working group in the History and Philosophy of Conteporary Physics in the Constortium for the History of Science. On 2022 I served as a co-organizer of the ISF workshop "The Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: Current Status and Relation to Other Interpretations" in Tel-Aviv University (workshop webpage; recordings).   

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2019
Ph.D. in Philosophy of Science
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
Thesis title: The Quantum Phase and Quantum Reality
Advisors: Yemima Ben-Menahem, Daniel Rohrlich
2010
Teacher’s certificate in Physics
Kerem Intitute, Jerusalem.
2008
M.Sc. in Physics
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
Thesis title: Stochastic Analysis of Intracellular Interactions Involved in Regulation of Gene Expression
Advisor: Ofer Biham
2004
B.Sc. In Physics (cum laude)
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
2020
Rothshield Fellowship
2020
HUJI Prize for Excellence in Research​
2022-
The Open University of Israel: member of the Astrophysics Research Center (ARCO)
2022-
Department of natural sciences, the Open University of Israel: Senior teaching faculty\researcher. 
2020-2021
University of Oxford: Associate Member of the Faculty of Philosophy
2020-2021
Utrecht University: Visiting Research Fellow at the Freudenthal Institute.
2019-2020
Cohn Institute, Tel-Aviv University: Visiting Research Fellow

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Hetzroni, G. and Read, J. (2024) How to Teach General Relativity. The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science. (doi: 10.1086/729059; Philsci archive preprint)

Hetzroni, G. (2021) Measurements, Preparations, and Interpretations in Quantum Theory: A Comment on Meehan (2020). The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science. (doi: 10.1086/716180) (PhilSci archive preprint) 

Hetzroni, G., (2020). Physical systems, mathematical representation, and philosophical principles: the EPR paper and its influence.  Iyyun, 68. [Hebrew]​ [pdf] (Published together with the first Hebrew translation of the EPR paper)

Hetzroni, G., (2020), Relativity and Equivalence in Hilbert Space: A Principle-Theory Approach to the Aharonov-Bohm Effect. Foundations of Physics, 50, 120-135. (doi:  10.1007/s10701-020-00322-y)​ [pdf]

Hetzroni, G., (2021), Gauge and Ghosts. The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science,  72:3, 773-796. (doi: 10.1093/bjps/axz021)​ [pdf[

Rohrlich, D., Hetzroni, G. (2018). GHZ States as Tripartite PR Boxes: Classical Limit and Retrocausality. Entropy, 20(6), 478.‏(doi:  10.3390/e20060478)​ [arxiv]

Shimoni, Y., Friedlander, G., Hetzroni, G., Niv, G., Altuvia, S., Biham, O., & Margalit, H. (2007). Regulation of gene expression by small non-coding RNAs: a quantitative view. Molecular systems biology, 3(1). (doi:10.1038/msb4100181)

Dekel, A., Devor, J., & Hetzroni, G. (2003). Galactic halo cusp–core: tidal compression in mergers. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,341(1), 326-342. (doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06432.x​)

Hetzroni, G., & Stemeroff, N. (2023) Mathematical Analogies in Physics: The Curious Case of Gauge Symmetries. Forthcoming in C. Posy and Y. Ben-Menahem (Eds.) Mathematical Knowledge, Objects and Applications. Jerusalem Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science, Springer.​ (doi:10.1007/978-3-031-21655-8_11; PhilSci archive preprint) 

Hetzroni, G., & Rohrlich, D. (2014). Protective Measurements and the PBR Theorem. In Protective Measurement: Towards a New Understanding of Quantum Mechanics, Cambridge University Press.(doi: 10.1017/CBO9781107706927.011;​ arxiv)

Berghofer P., François, J., Friederich, S., Gomes, H., Hetzroni, G., Maas, A. & Sondenheimer, R. (2023) Gauge Symmetries, Symmetry Breaking, and Gauge-Invariant Approaches. Cambridge University Press. (doi: 10.1017/9781009197236; arxiv:2110.00616)

July 2024 -- How to choose heuristic framework? Gauge invariance vs. gauge symmetry breaking.  From Gauge Symmetries to Gauge-Invariant Approaches, University of Graz (Invited keynote speaker)

July 2023 -- Reconsidering the Methodological Lesson from General Relativity (with James Read). Workshop on the foundations of physics. Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford, UK. 

July 2023 -- Realism and the Projectability of Invariance Arguments. The British Society for the Philosophy of Science Annual Conference. University of Bristol, UK. 

April 2023 -- Spacetime Functionalism and Physical Theorizing: The Case of General Relativity. Conference on Spacetime Functionalism. University of Pittsburgh, USA. 

Jan 2023 -- The general theory of relativity and scientific thought: Did we learn the right lesson? Cohn Institute Research Seminar, Tel-Aviv University. [Recording (Hebrew)]

Oct 2022 -- Consensus, theoretical virtues, and interpretation: Lessons from past debates ISF workshop: The Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, Tel-Aviv University [Recording]

June 2022 -- Symmetry Principles: Convention, Causation, or Both? The 21st Annual Conference of the Israeli Society for the History, and Philosophy, and Sociology of Science. (Invited talk in a plenary session)

Oct 2021 -- Symmetries and Interactions: From Heuristics to Ontology The 20th UK and European Conference on Foundations of Physics. Paris, France.​

July 2021 -- From Spacetime Symmetries to Gravitational Coupling (with James Read) Lichtenberg Group for History and Philosophy of Physics​ Research Seminar. Univevrsity of Bonn, Germany. 

July 2021 -- Spacetime Symmetries and Gravity: General Covariance vs Local Symmetry Groups (with James Read)​ The British Society for the Philosophy of Science Annual Conference. 

Feb 2021 -- Symmetry Arguments, Methodological Equivalence and Relational Quantities Oxford Philosophy of Physics  Research Seminar. [Recording​]

May 2020 -- Symmetries in Physics: Between Convention and Causation Invited Speaker; Conference on Causation in Science, Edelstein Center, HUJI. (Cancelled due to Covid-19 situation)

Feb 2020 -- Miracle or Physical? Einstein versus Wigner on the Effectiveness of Mathematics The 23rd annual conference of the Israeli Philosophical Association, Tel-Aviv University. 

Dec 2019 -- The Gauge Principle: Physical Fields vs. Mathematical Ghosts Second Chilean Conference on the Philosophy of Physics, Philosophy Institute at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. 

Nov 2018 -- Constructive Theories vs. Principle-Theories from a Century’s Perspective Jerusalem-Budapest workshop I: Physicalism and Reduction, Edelstein Center, HUJI. 

Feb 2017 -- Best-Explanation Arguments in the Absolute\Relational Debate and the Reality of Potentials Explanatory Reasoning in the Sciences (The Second Jerusalem-MCMP Workshop in the Philosophy of Science), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich. 

July 2015 -- Reductionism and the Decoherence Explanation of Classicality Workshop on philosophy of modern physics, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin. 

May 2014 -- Causation and Unification in Quantum Explanation UNC-HUJI Workshop in the Philosophy of Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. 

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  • 2022 Tel-Hai College, Honors Program in Humanities and Social Science. Adjunct Lecturer: Fundamental Questions in The Physical Sciences.

  • Since 2010 Teaching Coordinator in physics courses: Fundamentals of Physics courses, Modern Physics, Waves and Optics, Advanced Topics in Wave Theory, Physics Preparatory Workshop, Physical Methods in Medicine, Introduction to Geophysics (until 2013), Analytical Electromagnetism (until 2015), Nuclear Physics (until 2015).

  • 2014 Teaching Assistant in the course “Time in Physics and Philosophy” (Program for History and Philosophy of Science, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

  • 2013 Teaching Assistant in the course “Introduction to Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics” (Program for History and Philosophy of Science, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

  • 2009-2011 Israel Arts and Science Academy (high school): physics teacher

  • 2008-2012 Jerusalem College for Engineering: lecturer and teaching assistant in various physics courses.

  • 2005-2008 Hebrew University of Jerusalem: teaching assistant in various physics courses.

  • 2016-2017 Reviewer for Modern Physics textbook (The Open University of Israel).

  • 2010-2014 Academic development assistant in the courses: Introduction to Geophysics, Waves and Optics, Nuclear Physics (The Open University of Israel).