I run the Foundations of Thermodynamics Group at NTU Singapore, which is currently funded by the Nanyang Assistant Professorship Grant. Its goal is to provide a space for research on all aspects of the conceptual foundations of thermodynamics, with particular focus on understanding the conceptual foundations of thermodynamics beyond the classical domain, e.g., in the quantum and relativistic domains, how thermodynamics relates to other non-fundamental domains such as fluid dynamics and neuroscience, and how it bears on questions in philosophy such as (but not limited to) questions about emergence, reduction, inter-theory relations, the nature of non-fundamental reality, the laws of nature, and the relation between symmetries and reality.
The group is currently supported by Research Associate Mel Ong.
We are in the midst of hiring two postdoctoral Research Fellows. Stay tuned for more news!
Eugene Y. S. Chua, Nanyang Assistant Professor, Group PI: Eugene is Nanyang Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he leads the Foundations of Thermodynamics group. His research focuses on the philosophy of science, especially physics. He has published work on black hole evaporation, relativistic and quantum thermodynamics, the foundations of quantum mechanics, and the emergence of time in quantum gravity.
Mel Ong, Research Associate: Mel is a philosophy and classics graduate with an interest in logic, especially self-referential paradoxes. She is also interested in film programming and sees it as a tool to promote solidarity. She hopes to highlight and examine stories on queer identity, womanhood and aesthetics. In her free time, she enjoys making digital art.
We recently successfully wrapped up our group's first big event, the 2025 Foundations of Thermodynamics workshop. The workshop saw discussions on quantum statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, quasi-local black hole thermodynamics, as well as foundational questions in statistical mechanics.
Talk recordings will be uploaded onto YouTube soon.
Archive of speaker information and abstracts can be found here.