Prof. Ravi V. Gomatam

DIRECTOR, Bhaktivedanta Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
Adjunct Professor, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India

DIRECTOR, Institute for Semantic Information Sciences and Technology (ISIST), Berkeley, California, USA

 
Contact Info

2334 Stuart Street, Berkeley, CA 94705
mailing address: PO Box 3206, Berkeley, CA 94703, USA

Tel: +1 510-841-7618
Email: rgomatam@bvinst.edu
 

Education

• (1998) Ph.D. in Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, Dept of Philosophy, Mumbai University
• (1974) M.E. in electronics Engineering, BITS, Pilani, India
• (1972) B.E. in electrical and electronics Engineering, Annamalai University, India

Brief Bio

Prof. Gomatam received his masters in electronics engineering in the early 1970s from BITS, Pilani. After working in India for a few years with a major international airline on their software development projects, he worked for a number of Fortune-500 companies including General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Burroughs and IBM as a freelance software specialist in the areas of operating system design, data communications and very-large database design in USA. In the mid-80s, he turned to fundamental scientific research, first completing a Ph.D. in the foundations of quantum mechanics. Since then he has remained in academics – doing full-time research and graduate level teaching.

Fields of Research Interest 

• Foundations of quantum mechanics
• Foundations of artificial intelligence
• Philosophy of science
• Philosophy of mathematics
• Consciousness studies
• Philosophy of language

Visiting Scholar

• Dept of Mathematics, U. of Pretoria, S. Africa, January- February, 2000
• Dept. of Philosophy, Loyola University, New Orleans, August-Sept, 2001

Publications

• (2010) “Macroscopic Quantum Mechanics and System of Systems Design Approach", Invited talk at the Indo-US Workshop on Systems Engineering, Oct. 26-28, IIT, Kanpur. 
  Abstract
   

• (2009) "Quantum Theory, the Chinese Room Argument and the Symbol Grounding Problem" In P. Bruza et al. (2009) (eds.) Quantum Interaction-2009, Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence, vol. 5494, pp. 174-183, Springer-Verlag: Berlin, Heidelberg.
  Abstract                Full Paper              
   
• (2008) "Quantum Realism and Haecceity" Forthcoming in Materialism and Immaterialism in India and the West: Varying Vistas, (Ed.) Ghose, P., CSC, New Delhi.
  Full Paper
   
• (2007) "Niels Bohr's Interpretation and the Copenhagen Interpretation -- Are the two incompatible?", Philosophy of Science, December, vol 74(5), pp. 736-748.
  Abstract                Full Paper              
   
• (2006) "Popper’s Propensity Interpretation and Heisenberg’s Potentia Interpretation—A comparative assessment" (PDF format), Invited paper for the forthcoming volume on Probabilities, Propensity and Corroboration, (Eds.) Chattopadhyaya, D. P. and Sengupta, A.K., 2006, CSC, ICPR: New Delhi
   
• (2005) “Do Hodgson’s Propositions Uniquely Characterize Free Will?” (PDF format), Invited commentary on a target paper, "A Plain Person's View of Free Will" by David Hodgson,  Journal of Consciousness Studies, vol 12(1), p. 32-40, Imprint Academic: UK.
   
• (2004) "Physics and Common Sense – Relearning the Connections in the Light of Quantum Theory" (PDF format) In Chattopadhyaya, D.P. & Sen Gupta, A.K. (2004) Ed., Philosophical Consciousness and Scientific Knowledge: Conceptual Linkages and Civilizational Background, CSC: New Delhi, pp. 179-207.
   
• (2000) Book Review, Quantum Dialogue, Mara Beller, Philosophy in Review, vol 20 (6), 390-392.

• (1999a) "Quantum Theory and the Observation Problem", (PDF format) Journal of Consciousness Studies, 6 (11-12), p. 173-190 

• (1998) Toward a Consciousness-based, Realist Interpretation of Quantum theory - Integrating Bohr and Einstein, Ph.D. dissertation, University of Mumbai

• (1987) "Toward a Hierarchical Model of Consciousness, Intelligence and Mind", 1987 in Singh & Gomatam (1987), p. 243-294

Books

• (1987) Singh, T.D. and Gomatam, R. (Eds.) Synthesis of Science and Religion - Critical Essays and Dialogs (Bhaktivedanta Institute: Mumbai). The book features contributions from 35 eminent international scholars including six Nobel Laureates.

Papers Read

• (2004) Complementarity - Did Bohr miss the boat?, HOPOS bi-annual meeting, July, San Francisco
   
• (2003) Against 'Position', the Annual meeting of the Canadian Association for Philosophy of Science, Halifax, Canada, May 30-June 3

• (2002a) What is Niels Bohr's Interpretation?, Annual meeting of the Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science, Toronto, June 26-28 http://www.er.uqam.ca/nobel/r20430/schps_toronto_2002/programme3.html
   
• (2002b) Einstein's Critique of Quantum Theory -- A Reassessment, Annual Meeting of the History and Philosophy of Science (HOPOS), Montreal, July 23-25 http://mapageweb.umontreal.ca/marquisj/hopos/
   
• (1999b) Quantum Information, Quantum Approaches to Consciousness, July 28-August 1, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
   
• (1992) Local Realism or Object Realism?, Poster presented at de Broglie Centenary Conference on Particles and Waves, Trani, Italy
   
• (1991) Quantum Mechanics and Reality, American Philosophical Association, Central Division, group session: Knowledge and Reality. 

Other Publications

• Guest Editor for Special Theme Section (Physics, Philosophy and Information Technology) of December 2005 issue of CSI Communications, the monthly magazine of the Computer Science of India.

            ◊Guest Editorial

            ◊Special article entitled "Quantum Physics and Philosophy"

Letters

• Letter sent to PhysicsToday
   

• Published Version (April 2006)
   

• Weinberg's Response
   

• My comment on Weinberg

   

Papers Reviewed for

• Synthese
   
• Journal of Consciousness Studies             
   

Dissertations Supervised