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24QTAIM and the Interactive Conception of Chemical BondingPhilosophy of Science 86 (5): 1307-1317. 2019.Quantum physics is the foundation for chemistry, but the concept of chemical bonding is not easily reconciled with quantum mechanical models of molecular systems. The quantum theory of atoms in molecules, developed by Richard F.W. Bader and colleagues, seeks to define bonding using a topological analysis of the electron density distribution. The “bond paths” identified by the analysis are posited as indicators of a special pairwise physical relationship between atoms. While elements of the theor…Read more
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20Relational quantum mechanics, causal composition, and molecular structureFoundations of Chemistry 26 (3): 429-446. 2024.Franklin and Seifert (2021) argue that solving the measurement problem of quantum mechanics (QM) also answers a question central to the philosophy of chemistry: that of how to reconcile QM with the existence of definite molecular structures. This conclusion may appear premature, however, because interactions play a crucial role in shaping molecules, but we generally lack detailed models of how this is accomplished. Given this explanatory gap, simply choosing an interpretation of QM is insufficie…Read more
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17Explaining Stability and Change in Natural SystemsDissertation, University of Pennsylvania. 2018.An aim of science is to increase our understanding of the natural world. A primary means for doing so is by providing explanations, which often proceed by tracing the causes of phenomena. How can a causal explanation lead to understanding? While explanations can take many forms, I argue that to succeed they must embody a conception of causation shared with their audience. The challenge then, is to describe this conception and detail its role in explanation. While there is good evidence that scie…Read more
University of Pennsylvania
PhD, 2018
APA Eastern Division
Areas of Specialization
General Philosophy of Science |