Avril Styrman

PhD in Philosophy, M.Sc. in Computer Science

I am interested in the philosophy of science, metaphysics, and logic. The Dynamic Universe (DU) brings together these interests in several ways.

First, DU is an emerging theory of physics with an understandable dynamic and causal-mechanical basic structure. Since its inception by Suntola in the 1990s, DU has produced various novel predictions and explanations, and its limits have yet to be fully explored. DU serves as a comprehensive alternative to relativistic physics —the special and general theories of relativity and the standard model of cosmology built on general relativity— and offers solutions to several problems associated with these theories.

In contrast to DU’s understandable causal-mechanical structure, relativistic physics is a hybrid of kinematics (metrics) and dynamics, which has rendered nature less comprehensible and more fragmented, leading to the adoption of various ad hoc hypotheses. This raises important questions about the evaluation criteria for scientific theories, a central concern of the philosophy of science. Criteria that were respected during the era of classical physics tend to favor DU, while relativistic physics has become its own criterion: in the spirit of the Quine-Duhem thesis, when it conflicts with empirical data, it is not rejected; instead, the overall system is modified accordingly. For instance, relativistic physics (or the nature it describes) is often supplemented with additional hypotheses, or anomalous phenomena are simply disregarded. Notably, DU has been developed by a single individual, while hundreds of scientists have contributed to relativistic physics over the past 100+ years. Therefore, we cannot expect DU to be as evidentially robust as relativistic physics today. Instead, DU and relativistic physics should be viewed as rival research programs, and we should evaluate the results achieved in terms of the person-years and funding invested in each. (See an evaluation of DU vs. relativistic physics here.)

Second, DU makes the practice of metaphysics significantly easier than relativistic physics. DU respects absolute simultaneity and presentism; therefore, it provides scientific support for an understandable conception of time, and a conception of possibility that functions in this world. (See how the passage of time can be explained in the context of absolute vs. relativistic simultaneity here; see how a system of tense logic or a temporal conception of possibility can be developed in the context of absolute simultaneity here.) In contrast, relativistic physics hinders metaphysicians from developing intelligible conceptions of time and possibility. The notions of time and possibility directly or indirectly affect various fields of metaphysics. For instance, a philosopher who develops a comprehensive theory of truth must provide an account of truthmaking, which is fundamentally dependent on an ontology of time.

In sum, The Dynamic Universe is an empirically compelling alternative to relativistic physics and an excellent companion to philosophical metaphysics. DU suggests that nature is understandable and promises that relativistic simultaneity will one day be seen as a relic of a bygone era.

ResearchGate
helsinki.academia.edu
https://researchportal.helsinki.fi/en/persons/avril-styrman

Peer-reviewed articles

• Evaluation of Theories and Methodologies: Relativistic Physics vs. the Dynamic Universe — With Remarks from Physics and Reality 2024 and Cosmology on Small Scales 2024 Conferences. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2025, vol. 2948, 012004. (IOP Science)
• Avril Styrman. “Evaluation of Theories and Methodologies: Relativistic Physics vs. the Dynamic Universe”. In: Proceedings of the International Conference Cosmology on Small Scales 2024: Local Hubble Expansion and Other Cosmological Puzzles. Prague, September 19-21, 2024. Ed. by Michal Krizek and Yurii V. Dumin. Prague: Institute of Mathematics, Czech Academy of Sciences, 2024, pp. 75–108. (Czech Academy of Sciences)
• Avril Styrman. The Passage of Time as Causal Succession of Events. Journal of Philosophy, volume 120, number 12, pp. 681-697. (Philosophy Documentation Center)
• Avril Styrman. Tense Logic and Ontology of Time. FOUST 2021: 5th Workshop on Foundational Ontology. In Proceedings of the Joint Ontology Workshops 2021 Episode VII: The Bolzano Summer of Knowledge. Editors: Tiago Prince Sales and Emilio M. Sanfilippo. (Academia.edu, ceur-ws.org)
• Avril Styrman, Only a unified ontology can remedy disunification, Journal of Physics, Conference Series 1466 (2020) 012001 (IOP Science)
• Avril Styrman, Economical Unification in Philosophy of Science Before and After Ernst Mach. In Friedrich Stadler (ed.) Ernst Mach – Life, Work, Influence. Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook, vol. 22, ch. 15, pp. 199-212. Springer, 2019. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-04378-0_15 (Springer)
• A. Styrman, Relativity vs. Absolute Simultaneity: Varying Flow of Time or Varying Frequency? Physics Essays 31(3), July 2018, DOI: 10.4006/0836-1398-31.3.256, 2018. (Academia.edu, ResearchGate, Ingenta Connect)
• A. Styrman and Aapo Halko, Finitist Set Theory in Ontological Modeling. Applied Ontology, vol. 13, no. 2., pp. 107-133, 2018. DOI: 10.3233/AO-180196, (IOS Science)
• A. Styrman, The Principle Of Economy As An Evaluation Criterion Of Theories. A Case Example: The Dynamic Universe Vs. Physics And Cosmology Based On General Relativity. In Tuomo Suntola and Avril Styrman, editors, Scientific Models and a Comprehensive Picture of Reality, La Nuova Critica, vol. 63-64, pp. 63–90, 2014; issue released on November 2016. (ResearchGate, Academia.edu)
• Potential Infinity and Natural Numbers. La Nuova Critica. Vol. 57-58, pp. 7-23, 2011.
• Ontology-Based Image Retrieval. With Eero Hyvönen and Samppa Saarela. Eero Hyvönen and Mika Klemettinen (eds.) Towards Semantic Web and Web Services: Proceedings of XML Finland 2002 Conference. Number 2002-2003 in HIIT Publications, pp. 15-27, 2003.

Books and collections

• Physics and Reality: International Conference on Philosophy of Physics. June 4-6, 2024 Helsinki, Finland. Journal of Physics: Conference Series. IOP Publishing Ltd, 2025. Editors: Avril Styrman, Paavo Pylkkänen, and Saara Wuokko. (IOP Science)
• Unification in Physics and Philosophy 9-11 May 2019, Porvoo and Helsinki, Finland. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, vol.1466. IOP Publishing Ltd, 2020. Editor: Avril Styrman. (IOP Science)
• A. Styrman, Economical Unification as a Method of Philosophical Analysis. PhD Thesis. University of Helsinki, Faculty of Arts, Department of Philosophy, History, Culture and Art Studies, 2016. (ResearchGate, Academia.edu, Helda, pdf)
• Tuomo Suntola and Avril Styrman, editors, Scientific Models and a Comprehensive Picture of Reality, La Nuova Critica, vol. 63-64, pp. 63–90, 2014; issue released on November 2016. (Academia.edu, ResearchGate)
• Luonnonfilosofian seuran 25-vuotisjuhlakirja: K.V. Laurikainen - Luonnonfilosofian seura 25 vuotta. The Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy 25 Years. Editors: Juha Samela and Avril Styrman. Helsinki 2015. (protsv.fi)