Physics On The Fringe

Author : Margaret Wertheim
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2011-11-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780802778734

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Physics on the Fringe by Margaret Wertheim Pdf

For the past fifteen years, acclaimed science writer Margaret Wertheim has been collecting the works of "outsider physicists," many without formal training and all convinced that they have found true alternative theories of the universe. Jim Carter, the Einstein of outsiders, has developed his own complete theory of matter and energy and gravity that he demonstrates with experiments in his backyard,-with garbage cans and a disco fog machine he makes smoke rings to test his ideas about atoms. Captivated by the imaginative power of his theories and his resolutely DIY attitude, Wertheim has been following Carter's progress for the past decade. Centuries ago, natural philosophers puzzled out the laws of nature using the tools of observation and experimentation. Today, theoretical physics has become mathematically inscrutable, accessible only to an elite few. In rejecting this abstraction, outsider theorists insist that nature speaks a language we can all understand. Through a profoundly human profile of Jim Carter, Wertheim's exploration of the bizarre world of fringe physics challenges our conception of what science is, how it works, and who it is for.

Author : Michael D. Gordin
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 122 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2021-03-23
Category : History
ISBN : 9780197555781

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On the Fringe by Michael D. Gordin Pdf

Everyone has heard of the term "pseudoscience", typically used to describe something that looks like science, but is somehow false, misleading, or unproven. Many would be able to agree on a list of things that fall under its umbrella-- astrology, phrenology, UFOlogy, creationism, and eugenics might come to mind. But defining what makes these fields "pseudo" is a far more complex issue. It has proved impossible to come up with a simple criterion that enables us to differentiate pseudoscience from genuine science. Given the virulence of contemporary disputes over the denial of climate change and anti-vaccination movements--both of which display allegations of "pseudoscience" on all sides-- there is a clear need to better understand issues of scientific demarcation. On the Fringe explores the philosophical and historical attempts to address this problem of demarcation. This book argues that by understanding doctrines that are often seen as antithetical to science, we can learn a great deal about how science operated in the past and does today. This exploration raises several questions: How does a doctrine become demonized as pseudoscientific? Who has the authority to make these pronouncements? How is the status of science shaped by political or cultural contexts? How does pseudoscience differ from scientific fraud? Michael D. Gordin both answers these questions and guides readers along a bewildering array of marginalized doctrines, looking at parapsychology (ESP), Lysenkoism, scientific racism, and alchemy, among others, to better understand the struggle to define what science is and is not, and how the controversies have shifted over the centuries. On the Fringe provides a historical tour through many of these fringe fields in order to provide tools to think deeply about scientific controversies both in the past and in our present.

Author : Anil Ananthaswamy
Publisher : Prelude Books
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2020-01-23
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780715653937

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Through Two Doors at Once by Anil Ananthaswamy Pdf

The clearest, most accessible explanation yet of the amazing world of quantum mechanics. How can matter behave both like a particle and a wave? Does a particle exist before we look at it or does the very act of looking bring it into reality? Are there hidden elements to reality missing from the orthodox view of quantum physics? And is there a place where the quantum world ends and our perceivable world begins? Many of science's greatest minds have grappled with these questions embodied by the simple yet elusive "double-slit" experiment. Thomas Young devised it in the early 1800s to show that light behaves like a wave, and in doing so opposed Isaac Newton’s theories. Nearly a century later, Albert Einstein showed that light comes in particles, and the experiment became key to a fierce debate with Niels Bohr over the nature of reality. Richard Feynman held that the double slit embodies the central mystery of the quantum world. Hypothesis after hypothesis, scientists have returned to this ingenious experiment to help them answer the deep questions about the fabric of our universe. With his extraordinary gift for making the complicated comprehensible, Anil Ananthaswamy travels around the world and through history, down to the smallest scales of physical reality we have yet fathomed for the answers. ***PRAISE FOR THROUGH TWO DOORS AT ONCE*** A Physics Book of the Year A Forbes Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Best Book of the Year A Smithsonian Favourite Book of the Year Publisher's Weekly Best Books of Autumn 'A fascinating read and a must for anyone who would like to find out the latest experimental advances made in this most fundamental of quantum experiments.' Physics World 'Ananthaswamy cleverly comes at quantum physics from a different direction... An excellent addition to the 'Quantum physics for the rest of us' shelf.' Brian Clegg, author of Are Numbers Real? and The Quantum Age 'A challenging and rewarding survey of how scientists are grappling with nature’s deepest, strangest secrets.' Wall Street Journal 'A fascinating tour through the cutting-edge physics the experiment keeps on spawning.' Scientific American 'Ananthaswamy gives an absolutely mind-boggling tour of how quantum physicists try to explain this “reality” that one of the most powerful scientific models of our era.' Smithsonian 'Offers beginners the tools they need to seriously engage with the philosophical questions that likely drew them to quantum mechanics.' Science 'At a time when popular physics writing so valorizes theory, a quietly welcome strength of Ananthaswamy’s book is how much human construction comes into focus here. This is not “nature” showing us, but us pressing “nature” for answers to our increasingly obsessional questions.' Washington Post 'Ananthaswamy's book is simply an outstanding exploration of the double slit experiment and what makes it so weird.' Forbes 'A thrilling survey of the most famous, enduring, and enigmatic experiment in the history of science.' Kirkus, starred review

Author : Manuel Servin,J. Antonio Quiroga,Moises Padilla
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 344 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2014-08-18
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9783527411528

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Fringe Pattern Analysis for Optical Metrology by Manuel Servin,J. Antonio Quiroga,Moises Padilla Pdf

The main objective of this book is to present the basic theoretical principles and practical applications for the classical interferometric techniques and the most advanced methods in the field of modern fringe pattern analysis applied to optical metrology. A major novelty of this work is the presentation of a unified theoretical framework based on the Fourier description of phase shifting interferometry using the Frequency Transfer Function (FTF) along with the theory of Stochastic Process for the straightforward analysis and synthesis of phase shifting algorithms with desired properties such as spectral response, detuning and signal-to-noise robustness, harmonic rejection, etc.

Author : Paul Davies
Publisher : Penguin UK
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2006-09-28
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780141962726

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God and the New Physics by Paul Davies Pdf

An explanation of how recent discoveries of the new physics are revolutionizing our view of the world and, in particular, throwing light on many of the questions formerly posed by religion

Author : Michael D. Gordin
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 303 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2012-09-17
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780226304434

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The Pseudoscience Wars by Michael D. Gordin Pdf

Properly analyzed, the collective mythological and religious writings of humanity reveal that around 1500 BC, a comet swept perilously close to Earth, triggering widespread natural disasters and threatening the destruction of all life before settling into solar orbit as Venus, our nearest planetary neighbor. Sound implausible? Well, from 1950 until the late 1970s, a huge number of people begged to differ, as they devoured Immanuel Velikovsky’s major best-seller, Worlds in Collision, insisting that perhaps this polymathic thinker held the key to a new science and a new history. Scientists, on the other hand, assaulted Velikovsky’s book, his followers, and his press mercilessly from the get-go. In The Pseudoscience Wars, Michael D. Gordin resurrects the largely forgotten figure of Velikovsky and uses his strange career and surprisingly influential writings to explore the changing definitions of the line that separates legitimate scientific inquiry from what is deemed bunk, and to show how vital this question remains to us today. Drawing on a wealth of previously unpublished material from Velikovsky’s personal archives, Gordin presents a behind-the-scenes history of the writer’s career, from his initial burst of success through his growing influence on the counterculture, heated public battles with such luminaries as Carl Sagan, and eventual eclipse. Along the way, he offers fascinating glimpses into the histories and effects of other fringe doctrines, including creationism, Lysenkoism, parapsychology, and more—all of which have surprising connections to Velikovsky’s theories. Science today is hardly universally secure, and scientists seem themselves beset by critics, denialists, and those they label “pseudoscientists”—as seen all too clearly in battles over evolution and climate change. The Pseudoscience Wars simultaneously reveals the surprising Cold War roots of our contemporary dilemma and points readers to a different approach to drawing the line between knowledge and nonsense.

Author : Steve Volk
Publisher : Harper Collins
Page : 340 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2011-06-07
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9780062092120

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Fringe-ology by Steve Volk Pdf

“Fringe-Ologybrings a poet’s eye to the frayed edges between the known and unknown, beliefand skepticism. . . . A dive into the paranormal even a hardcore skeptic like myselfcan enjoy.” —Mat Johnson, author of Pym Takea strange and unsettling trip into the heart of the paranormal universe asjournalist Steve Volk tries to answer some of the most fundamental questions atthe heart of human existence. Fringe-ology will appeal to anyone curiousbut cautious about reports of paranormal experiences, psychic phenomena, andother unexplainable events—anyone who has ever wondered about the existence anafterlife, intelligent life on other planets, or the limits of extrasensoryperception. For fans of Fringe, Mythbusters,Medium, Heroes, Nova, and Lost, Volk’sscintillating journey into mystery illuminates the furthest boundaries ofpossibility and wonder.

Author : Adam Becker
Publisher : Basic Books
Page : 418 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2018-03-20
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780465096060

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What Is Real? by Adam Becker Pdf

"A thorough, illuminating exploration of the most consequential controversy raging in modern science." --New York Times Book Review An Editor's Choice, New York Times Book Review Longlisted for PEN/E.O. Wilson Prize for Literary Science Writing Longlisted for Goodreads Choice Award Every physicist agrees quantum mechanics is among humanity's finest scientific achievements. But ask what it means, and the result will be a brawl. For a century, most physicists have followed Niels Bohr's solipsistic and poorly reasoned Copenhagen interpretation. Indeed, questioning it has long meant professional ruin, yet some daring physicists, such as John Bell, David Bohm, and Hugh Everett, persisted in seeking the true meaning of quantum mechanics. What Is Real? is the gripping story of this battle of ideas and the courageous scientists who dared to stand up for truth. "An excellent, accessible account." --Wall Street Journal "Splendid. . . . Deeply detailed research, accompanied by charming anecdotes about the scientists." --Washington Post

Author : OpenStax
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 622 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2016-11-04
Category : Science
ISBN : 1680920456

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University Physics by OpenStax Pdf

University Physics is a three-volume collection that meets the scope and sequence requirements for two- and three-semester calculus-based physics courses. Volume 1 covers mechanics, sound, oscillations, and waves. Volume 2 covers thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, and Volume 3 covers optics and modern physics. This textbook emphasizes connections between between theory and application, making physics concepts interesting and accessible to students while maintaining the mathematical rigor inherent in the subject. Frequent, strong examples focus on how to approach a problem, how to work with the equations, and how to check and generalize the result. The text and images in this textbook are grayscale.

Author : Michael Ware,Justin Peatross
Publisher : Lulu.com
Page : 350 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2020
Category : Electromagnetic waves
ISBN : 9781312929272

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Physics of Light and Optics (Black & White) by Michael Ware,Justin Peatross Pdf

Author : Lewis E. Little
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 174 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2018-08
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 1616041064

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The Theory of Elementary Waves by Lewis E. Little Pdf

The Theory of Elementary Waves: A New Explanation of Fundamental Physics, by Dr. Lewis E. Little, upends the standard view of quantum mechanics. His new theory explains activity at the sub-atomic level with the same understanding of cause and effect that governs all other science: In other words, the Theory of Elementary Waves (TEW) "makes sense of the physical universe." The science of physics should allow us to understand the physical world, from galaxies to sub-atomic particles. Yet quantum mechanics has produced a sad irony, namely that millions of high school and college students consider physics to be virtually incomprehensible. Explanations under quantum mechanics include a variety of contradictions. Most prominent is that elementary particles simultaneously exhibit the properties and behavior of particles and waves, a notion which produced the claim that a single particle-or at least it's "potential"-can be in two places at once. The links in this chain of absurdity have led to bizarre extremes, such as the idea of backwards time, curved space and the comment from a well-known physicist that "the moon is demonstrably not there when nobody looks." The time is ripe for a credible challenge to the formalisms of quantum theory. The Theory of Elementary Waves presents: -A full critique of quantum theory, including Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, Bell's Theorem, the "double-slit" experiment and such topics as "dark matter." -An entire chapter on how TEW provides a physical explanation of Einstein's theory of relativity. -How TEW sheds new light on the physics of the atom and atomic decay. -Suggestions for future research, not just in physics but in chemistry and biology as well. In the book's foreword, best-selling author Robert Prechter credits Dr. Little with "a vision as revolutionary as that of Copernicus 350 years earlier," and writes "he not only revolutionizes the fundamentals of sub-atomic physics but also reclaims the fundamentals of scientific philosophy." If you want to experience being at the forefront of a scientific revolution in what was formerly an unnecessarily mysterious field, The Theory of Elementary Waves: A New Explanation of Fundamental Physics is for you.

Author : Steven D. Bloom
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 245 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2016-06-22
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9780786470532

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The Physics and Astronomy of Science Fiction by Steven D. Bloom Pdf

The great scientific, astronomical and technological advances of the 20th century inspired the science fiction genre to imagine distant worlds and futures, far beyond the discoveries of the here and now. This book explores science fiction films, television series, novels and short stories--from Lost in Space (1965-1968) to Fringe (2008-2013) to the works of Isaac Asimov and Stephen Baxter--with a focus on their underlying concepts of physics and astronomy. Assessing accuracy and plausibility, the author considers the possibilities of solar system, interstellar and faster than light travel; intelligent planets, dark (anti-) matter, the multiverse and string theory, time travel, alternate universes, teleportation and replication, weaponry, force fields, extraterrestrial life, subatomic life, emotional robots, super-human and parapsychological powers, asteroid impacts, space colonies and many other topics.

Author : James Carter
Publisher : Lulu.com
Page : 193 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2024-06-02
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 9781105352119

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The Living Universe by James Carter Pdf

Author : Liz Lee Heinecke
Publisher : Kitchen Pantry Scientist
Page : 130 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2022-02-08
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 9780760372432

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The Kitchen Pantry Scientist Physics for Kids by Liz Lee Heinecke Pdf

The Kitchen Pantry Scientist: Physics for Kids features biographies of 25 leading physicists, past and present, accompanied by accessible, hands-on experiments and activities to bring the history and principles of physics alive.

Author : Daniel Greenberger,W.L. Reiter,Anton Zeilinger
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 369 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2013-04-17
Category : Science
ISBN : 9789401714549

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Epistemological and Experimental Perspectives on Quantum Physics by Daniel Greenberger,W.L. Reiter,Anton Zeilinger Pdf

From the very beginning it was realised that quantum physics involves radically new interpretative and epistemological consequences. While hitherto there has been no satisfactory philosophical analysis of these consequences, recent years have witnessed the accomplishment of many experiments to test the foundations of quantum physics, opening up vistas to a completely novel technology: quantum technology. The contributions in the present volume review the interpretative situation, analyze recent fundamental experiments, and discuss the implications of possible future technological applications. Readership: Analytic philosophers (logical empiricists), scientists (especially physicists), historians of logic, mathematics and physics, philosophers of science, and advanced students and researchers in these fields. Can be used for seminars on theoretical and experimental physics and philosophy of science, and as supplementary reading at advanced undergraduate and graduate levels.