William Wolf

History and Philosophy of Physics (HAPP) Scholarship

Joining us from: United States
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DPhil Philosophy (2022)

I am currently studying for a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) at the University of Oxford, where I conduct research in both physics and philosophy. I am originally from the United States of America and I began my DPhil in 2022 after earning a Bachelor of Science in physics from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Science in physics from the University of Chicago, and a Master of Studies in the philosophy of physics at the University of Oxford.

My research is interdisciplinary, bridging both theoretical physics and the philosophy of science. In physics, I work in cosmology and dark energy, developing scalar field theories of dark energy that aim to explain the Universe’s current phase of accelerated expansion and testing their viability against the latest cosmological data. In philosophy, I focus on the problem of underdetermination — the challenge that arises when multiple distinct theories are viable and empirical evidence cannot uniquely decide amongst the available theories. I am especially interested in categorizing different forms of underdetermination and in articulating philosophical strategies for responding to these situations, particularly as they appear in cosmology.

St. Cross College has been a wonderful academic home — a place to study, collaborate, and grow. I’m especially grateful to both the St. Cross Centre for the History and Philosophy of Physics (HAPP) and the British Society for the Philosophy of Science for their generous support, which has enabled me to pursue this research.

Outside of academia, I enjoy lifting weights, reading classic literature, and exploring archaeological sites from antiquity.