Jennifer Nielsen

Jennifer Nielsen (Jenny) is a philosopher of science conducting doctoral research on the limits of mechanistic explanation. She comes to the University of Kansas Department of Philosophy with a master of science degree in physics also from KU. She is especially interested in the intersection of scientific and mathematical explanation, particularly in the cases of field theories and quantum systems. More broadly, she studies epistemology and ontology of physical systems, the philosophy of scientific explanation, and the philosophy of science as practice.

Through ARI she has collaborated with the Collective Entanglements Inquiry concerning particle physics at CERN and examines the practice of science from the perspective of performance studies. She participated in a graduate panel as part of the programming for Collective Entanglements and has eagerly integrated into the Museum, which she sees as a hub of transformative interdisciplinary research across the campus and abroad.

Nielsen is also involved in ongoing particle physics research at KU. Her other philosophical interests include the ethics of technology / AI / blackbox systems, 12th century "Renaissance" philosophy as well as early modern enlightenment philosophy, and contemporary philosophy of sex and gender.

Read a white paper by Nielsen on "Science as Performance."