INFORMATION ENGINES
from Maxwell’s demon to Metascience
Location
Broughton Sanctuary, Broughton Hall Estate
Skipton, Yorkshire, BD23 3AE
Dates
August 7, 2023, to August 12, 2023
check-ins start at 4 PM BST on August 7 | welcome reception at 5:30 PM BST)
check-out at 10 AM BST on August 12 | summary session ends by 12:00 PM BST
The retreat
This summer, from August 7 to 12, 2023, FQxI is taking over the beautiful and expansive Broughton estate in the UK’s Yorkshire Dales to host a retreat covering questions concerning not only the fundamental nature of reality but those that probe how we do science at all–and the future of FQxI.
This is the first time FQxI is hosting a retreat. We chose this format due to the pandemic as it provided us an opportunity to host an event on a smaller, more intimate scale with those most enthusiastic about FQxI, our impact, and our future. Our time in the Yorkshire Dales promises to be a treat—providing time for informal conversation and exchange, along with scheduled programming to help brainstorm the future of foundational questions programming, how to make science more effective and equitable, and panels on Information as Fuel and how it relates to all of our work. And for those who are interested, there is time for yoga, meditation, forest walks, wild swimming, hiking, nightly chats around the fire, and more.
The gathering will follow the usual FQxI preference for informality over rigid structure and discussion over lecturing. At the Broughton estate, we aim to have afternoon workshops and small group discussions to bring people together to generate interesting ideas for FQxI’s future programming. Attendees will stay in rooms across the estate, some in Broughton Hall itself and others in lovely holiday homes Just imagine tea time with fellow attendees—housemates for the week—discussing, debating, and possibly setting the groundwork for new collaborations. It promises to be a good time for all!
The focus
A large focus of the retreat will be on metascience–how can we better fund, communicate and do science? This will include an introduction to our newly funded project related to the communication and presentation of scientific material within the scientific community. At the retreat, we aim to foster discussion on what improvements can be made sociologically and technologically. We will discuss various metascience issues of interest to those in foundational questions fields.
Another important component of the retreat will be an opportunity for FQxI members and supporters to brainstorm and ideate about some of the most interesting currents in foundational questions research, what major programs FQxI may take on next, and how we’d design and resource those programs.
The Foundational Questions Institute’s mission has always been to catalyze progress in arenas that might otherwise be overlooked and pioneer novel ways of coming together and doing science. With this in mind, a parallel focus of the retreat will be on information as fuel. This grant program was the first in which FQxI made a conscious drive to connect experimentalists with theoreticians to inspire new collaborations within groups–and between groups–to generate new avenues of discovery. This retreat aims to further that success both by communicating the fruits of this work to the wider physics community and to the public, along with asking what comes next for FQxI and for scientific research as a whole.
Our Information as Fuel (IaF) grantees have created mini-engines and tiny clocks that have the potential to revolutionize quantum computing and nanotechnology and are already testing the bounds of thermodynamics, illuminating the puzzles surrounding causality and time’s arrow, and are even investigating the nature of quantum agents. Each group has made significant progress toward their goals over the three years of the program. We will have a chance to learn more about these experiments when the grantees present their results, highlighting connections to foundational questions, perspectives on the future of their field, and the impact of their work on other branches of science.
The estate and the terrain
Originally built in 1597, Broughton Hall, part of a 3,000-acre estate, is located close to the town of Skipton in Yorkshire, UK. It is at the base of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales region allowing easy access to visit areas of outstanding natural beauty such as Malham Cove.
SUGGESTIONS FOR PACKING
Be sure to pack casual clothes that you won’t worry about getting dirty since there are lots of outdoor spaces—from formal gardens studded with statues, ponds, fountains, and parterres—to explore at Broughton and in the Yorkshire Dales.
- Consider wearing layered clothing, walking shoes, or boots.
- Pants might be preferred since there are some nettles around.
- Always be prepared with rain gear.
- There are a couple of swimming and ice plunge options on site. If this is of interest to you, bring a swimsuit.
WELLNESS OPTIONS
The Avalon Wellness Center at Broughton Sanctuary offers a variety of services. You can sign up for services by contacting Avalon; there are a limited amount of services per day, and it is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Access to Avalon is free-of-charge for retreat attendees, but they request that you check in before using facilities. Please contact Sarah Puello at Avalon to reserve time for services like the hydro-massage pool, personal training studio, wood sauna, and steam room. Nearby restaurants are mostly casual, including a pub within walking distance and dinner on-site at Utopia, Broughton Sanctuary’s dining space.
Walkability Concerns?
As always, we are aware people have different physical ability levels and will make sure to accommodate attendees accordingly. The terrain at Broughton is a combination of paved and unpaved (grass, rock paths, hills, and sometimes puddles of mud). Access to some of the holiday homes is hilly. There is accessible lodging for people who are unable to climb steps. We have asked for information about accessibility needs in the registration form.
Meeting during a pandemic
We have delayed the gathering by two years due to the pandemic. In efforts to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, we are implementing the measures shared below.
Before the retreat:
If you have a fever or have been around someone with COVID within the last five days, please take a PCR test prior to attending the event to determine if you should attend.
FQxI will reimburse you up to $100 for a COVID-19 PCR test taken on August 4-6, 2023. Please keep your receipt with the date and test information and contact us for more information.
During the retreat:
Lateral Flow Testing on August 7 and August 8
We are finalizing plans to have someone available to conduct rapid tests at the beginning of the retreat. We’ll share times here later, but ideally, we will have lateral flow testing available:
- August 7, 15:30 – 18:00, outside Broughton Hall
- August 8, 7:00 – 9:30, outside the Utopia dining hall
We encourage all attendees to take the tests on-site or show us their PCR test results taken in the last 72 hours before arrival.
If you get a positive test, we’ll re-test to make sure it’s not a false-positive, or have a PCR test scheduled. Until we have a negative test, we will ask that you isolate from the group. Luckily you won’t be stuck inside—the Broughton Estate is expansive, and you can explore the 3K-acre grounds, Zoom in to meetings, and have your meals in one of the outdoor seating areas.
Available outside Avalon and Utopia
There will be access to the following near the entrance of Avalon where in-door panels and discussions will take place, and Utopia, the dining hall:
- hand sanitizer
- disposable masks
- no-touch thermometer
Air Purifiers
We plan to purchase air purifiers for Avalon. The Utopia dining hall has openings on both sides and will be well-ventilated. Weather permitting, we will try to have some outdoor options.
Covid-19 testing kits available
Additionally, we will have a small number of Covid-19 testing kits on-site after the initial lateral flow testing.
