Foundational Questions Institute: Difference between revisions

The '''Foundational Questions Institute''', styled '''FQXi''', is an organization that provides grants to "catalyze, support, and disseminate research on questions at the foundations of physics and cosmology."<ref name=":0">[http://www.fqxi.org/about.html About the Foundational Questions Institute]</ref> It was founded in 2005 by cosmologists [[Max Tegmark]] and [[Anthony Aguirre]],<ref>{{cite journal |last=Schwarzchild |first=Bertram |date=December 2005 |title=News notes: Foundational Questions Institute |journal=Physics Today |volume=58 |issue=12 |pages=31 |doi=10.1063/1.2169440 |bibcode = 2005PhT....58T..31F }}</ref> who hold the positions of Scientific Directors.

It has run four worldwide grant competitions (in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2013), the first of which provided US$2M to 30 projects.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.newscientist.com/channel/fundamentals/dn12891-is-mathematical-pattern-the-theory-of-everything.html |title=Is mathematical pattern the theory of everything? |first=Zeeya |last=Merali |work=[[New Scientist]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |date=2007-11-15}}</ref> It also runs yearly essay contests open to the general public with $40,000 in prizes awarded by a jury panel and the best texts published in book format.<ref>{{cite web|title=Essay Contest page|url=http://www.fqxi.org/community/contest/closed|publisher=fqxi.org|accessdate=14 November 2018}}</ref>

FQXi is an independent, philanthropically funded non-profit organization, run by scientists for scientists, with a Scientific Advisory Board including [[John D. Barrow|John Barrow]], [[Nick Bostrom]], [[Gregory Chaitin]], [[David Chalmers]], [[Alan Guth]], [[Martin Rees]], [[Eva Silverstein]], [[Lee Smolin]], [[Frank Wilczek]], and [[H. Dieter Zeh|Dieter Zeh]].<ref name="Who is FQXi?">[http://www.fqxi.org/who#sd Who is FQXi?]</ref>

The $6.2 million seed funding was donated by the [[John Templeton Foundation]], whose goal is to reconcile science and religion. Tegmark has stated that the money came with "no strings attached"; The ''[[Boston Globe]]'' stated FQXi is run by "two well-respected researchers who say they are not religious. The institute's scientific advisory board is also filled with top scientists."<ref>{{cite news|title=Initiative will join physics, theology|url=http://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/07/31/initiative_will_join_physics_theology/|accessdate=12 February 2018|work=[[Boston Globe]]|date=31 July 2006|language=en}}</ref> Critics of the John Templeton Foundation such as [[Sean M. Carroll|Sean Carroll]] have also stated they were satisfied that the FQXi is independent.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Epstein|first1=David|title=Separation of Church and Science|url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/08/01/templeton|accessdate=12 February 2018|work=[[Inside Higher Ed]]|date=1 August 2006|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Foundational Questioners Announced|url=http://www.preposterousuniverse.com/blog/2006/07/31/foundational-questioners-announced/|website=Sean Carroll (blog)|accessdate=12 February 2018|date=31 July 2006}}</ref>

== Notable members ==

According to FQXi, its membership includes the following people:<ref>{{cite web |title=FQXi Membership |url=https://fqxi.org/members |accessdate=27 January 2020}}</ref>

* [[George Musser]]

{{Physics-org-stub}}