Orly Shenker

Prof. Orly Shenker is a Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her research focuses on the foundations of physics, particularly statistical mechanics and time-directed processes in classical and quantum mechanics. She co-authored the influential book The Road to Maxwell's Demon (Cambridge University Press, 2012), which challenges traditional approaches to statistical mechanics by advocating for a fully physical framework. Her work also extends to philosophy of mind, defending strong type physicalism against critiques like multiple realizability and conceivability arguments.

• Key Projects:
• Reformulating macrostates and probability in physics to eliminate non-physical observers.
• Addressing the 'hard problem' of consciousness and free will within physicalism.
• Investigating rationality in science versus other intellectual domains.

Prof. Shenker’s academic contributions bridge physics and philosophy, emphasizing interdisciplinary coherence. While no specific articles or grants are detailed here, her book underscores her leadership in foundational debates. No awards or lab affiliations are explicitly mentioned in the text.