Questioning The Foundations Of Physics

Author : Anthony Aguirre,Brendan Foster,Zeeya Merali
Publisher : Springer
Page : 274 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2015-01-24
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783319130453

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Questioning the Foundations of Physics by Anthony Aguirre,Brendan Foster,Zeeya Merali Pdf

The essays in this book look at way in which the fundaments of physics might need to be changed in order to make progress towards a unified theory. They are based on the prize-winning essays submitted to the FQXi essay competition “Which of Our Basic Physical Assumptions Are Wrong?”, which drew over 270 entries. As Nobel Laureate physicist Philip W. Anderson realized, the key to understanding nature’s reality is not anything “magical”, but the right attitude, “the focus on asking the right questions, the willingness to try (and to discard) unconventional answers, the sensitive ear for phoniness, self-deception, bombast, and conventional but unproven assumptions.” The authors of the eighteen prize-winning essays have, where necessary, adapted their essays for the present volume so as to (a) incorporate the community feedback generated in the online discussion of the essays, (b) add new material that has come to light since their completion and (c) to ensure accessibility to a broad audience of readers with a basic grounding in physics. The Foundational Questions Institute, FQXi, catalyzes, supports, and disseminates research on questions at the foundations of physics and cosmology, particularly new frontiers and innovative ideas integral to a deep understanding of reality, but unlikely to be supported by conventional funding sources.

Author : G. Tarozzi,Alwyn van der Merwe
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 422 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 9789400952454

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Open Questions in Quantum Physics by G. Tarozzi,Alwyn van der Merwe Pdf

Due to its extraordinary predictive power and the great generality of its mathematical structure, quantum theory is able, at least in principle, to describe all the microscopic and macroscopic properties of the physical world, from the subatomic to the cosmological level. Nevertheless, ever since the Copen hagen and Gottingen schools in 1927 gave it the definitive formu lation, now commonly known as the orthodox interpretation, the theory has suffered from very serious logical and epistemologi cal problems. These shortcomings were immediately pointed out by some of the principal founders themselves of quantum theory, to wit, Planck, Einstein, Ehrenfest, Schrodinger, and de Broglie, and by the philosopher Karl Popper, who assumed a position of radical criticism with regard to the standard formulation of the theory. The aim of the participants in the workshop on Open Questions in Quantum Physics, which was held in Bari (Italy), in the Department of Physics of the University, during May 1983 and whose Proceedings are collected in the present volume, accord ingly was to discuss the formal, the physical and the epistemo logical difficulties of quantum theory in the light of recent crucial developments and to propose some possible resolutions of three basic conceptual dilemmas, which are posed respectively ~: (a) the physical developments of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen argument and Bell's theorem, i. e.

Author : Heller Michael
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 160 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 1987
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 0912918012

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Questions to the Universe by Heller Michael Pdf

Author : Tilman Sauer,Ulrich Majer
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 690 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2009-08-06
Category : Mathematics
ISBN : 9783540682424

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David Hilbert's Lectures on the Foundations of Physics 1915-1927 by Tilman Sauer,Ulrich Majer Pdf

These documents do nothing less than bear witness to one of the most dramatic changes in the foundations of science. The book has three sections that cover general relativity, epistemological issues, and quantum mechanics. This fascinating work will be a vital text for historians and philosophers of physics, as well as researchers in related physical theories.

Author : David Wallace
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 169 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2021
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780198814320

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Philosophy of Physics by David Wallace Pdf

Philosophy of physics is concerned with the deepest theories of modern physics - quantum theory, our theories of space, time and symmetry, and thermal physics - and their strange, even bizarre conceptual implications. This book explores the core topics in philosophy of physics, and discusses their relevance for both scientists and philosophers.

Author : Nuffield Foundation. Science Teaching Project
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 1966
Category : Physics
ISBN : LCCN:78459166

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Physics: Questions Book by Nuffield Foundation. Science Teaching Project Pdf

Author : Claudio Garola,Arcangelo Rossi
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 455 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Science
ISBN : 9789401100298

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The Foundations of Quantum Mechanics by Claudio Garola,Arcangelo Rossi Pdf

In The Foundations of Quantum Mechanics - Historical Analysis and Open Questions, leading Italian researchers involved in different aspects of the foundations and history of quantum mechanics are brought together in an interdisciplinary debate. The book therefore presents an invaluable overview of the state of Italian work in the field at this moment, and of the open problems that still exist in the foundations of the theory. Audience: Physicists, logicians, mathematicians and epistemologists whose research concerns the historical analysis of quantum mechanics.

Author : Felix Finster,Domenico Giulini,Johannes Kleiner,Jürgen Tolksdorf
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 302 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2020-04-09
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783030389413

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Progress and Visions in Quantum Theory in View of Gravity by Felix Finster,Domenico Giulini,Johannes Kleiner,Jürgen Tolksdorf Pdf

This book focuses on a critical discussion of the status and prospects of current approaches in quantum mechanics and quantum field theory, in particular concerning gravity. It contains a carefully selected cross-section of lectures and discussions at the seventh conference “Progress and Visions in Quantum Theory in View of Gravity” which took place in fall 2018 at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences in Leipzig. In contrast to usual proceeding volumes, instead of reporting on the most recent technical results, contributors were asked to discuss visions and new ideas in foundational physics, in particular concerning foundations of quantum field theory. A special focus has been put on the question of which physical principles of quantum (field) theory can be considered fundamental in view of gravity. The book is mainly addressed to mathematicians and physicists who are interested in fundamental questions of mathematical physics. It allows the reader to obtain a broad and up-to-date overview of a fascinating active research area.

Author : Nick Huggett,Keizo Matsubara,Christian Wüthrich
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 371 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2020-05-14
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781108477024

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Beyond Spacetime by Nick Huggett,Keizo Matsubara,Christian Wüthrich Pdf

A collection of essays discussing the philosophy and foundations of quantum gravity. Written by leading philosophers and physicists in the field, chapters cover the important conceptual questions in the search for a quantum theory of gravity, and the current state of understanding among philosophers and physicists.

Author : Claudio Garola,Arcangelo Rossi
Publisher : World Scientific
Page : 436 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2000-05-11
Category : Science
ISBN : 9789814493383

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Foundations Of Quantum Mechanics, The: Historical Analysis And Open Questions by Claudio Garola,Arcangelo Rossi Pdf

This volume provides a sample of the present research on the foundations of quantum mechanics and related topics by collecting the papers of the Italian scholars who attended the conference entitled “The Foundations of Quantum Mechanics — Historical Analysis and Open Questions” (Lecce, 1998). The perspective of the book is interdisciplinary, and hence philosophical, historical and technical papers are gathered together so as to allow the reader to compare different viewpoints and cultural approaches. Most of the papers confront, directly or indirectly, the objectivity problem, taking into account the positions of the founders of QM or more recent developments. More specifically, the technical papers in the book pay special attention to the interpretation of the experiments on Bell's inequalities and to decoherence theory, but topics on unsharp QM, the consistent-history approach, quantum probability and alternative theories are also discussed. Furthermore, a number of historical and philosophical papers are devoted to Planck's, Weyl's and Pauli's thought, but topics such as quantum ontology, predictivity of quantum laws, etc., are treated.

Author : Dipankar Home
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 399 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 2013-06-29
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781475798081

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Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Physics by Dipankar Home Pdf

It may tum out that, like certain other phenomena studied by sociologists, bouts of interest in the foundations of quantum mechanics tend to come in 60-year cycles. It is hardly surprising that in the first decade or so of the subject the conceptual puzzles generated by this strange new way of looking at the world should have generated profound interest, not just among professional physicists themselves but also among philosophers and informed laymen; but this intense interest was followed by a fallow period in the forties and fifties when the physics establishment by and large took the view that the only puzzles left were the product either of incompetent application of the formalism or of bad philosophy, and only a few brave individualists like the late David Bohm dared to suggest that maybe there really was something there after all to worry about. As Bell and Nauenberg, surveying the scene in 1966, put it: "The typical physicist feels that [these questions 1 have long ago been answered, and that he will fully understand how if ever he can spare twenty minutes to think about it. " But gradually, through the sixties and seventies, curiosity did revive, and the last ten years or so have seen a level of interest in foundational questions, and an involvement in them by some of the leading figures of contemporary physics, which is probably unparalleled since the earliest days.

Author : Steve Adams
Publisher : Mercury Learning and Information
Page : 994 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2023-03-30
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781683929680

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Foundations of Physics by Steve Adams Pdf

This updated edition is designed as a self-teaching, calculus-based introduction to the concepts of physics. Numerous examples, applications, and figures provide readers with simple explanations. Standard topics include vectors, conservation of energy, Newton’s Laws, momentum, motion, gravity, relativity, waves, fluid mechanics, circuits, nuclear physics, astrophysics, and more. FEATURES: Designed as a calculus-based, introduction to the key concepts of physics Practical techniques, including the collection, presentation, analysis and evaluation of data, are discussed in the context of key experiments linked to the theoretical spine of the work

Author : Claudio Garola,Arcangelo Rossi,Sandro Sozzo
Publisher : World Scientific
Page : 373 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2006
Category : Science
ISBN : 9789812773258

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The Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, Historical Analysis and Open Questions - Cesena 2004 by Claudio Garola,Arcangelo Rossi,Sandro Sozzo Pdf

This volume provides a unique overview of recent Italian studies on the foundations of quantum mechanics and related historical, philosophical and epistemological topics. A gathering of scholars from diverse cultural backgrounds, the conference provided a forum for a fascinating exchange of ideas and perspectives on a range of open questions in quantum mechanics. The varied nature of the papers in this volume attests to the achievement of that aim with many contributions providing original solutions to established problems by taking into account recommendations from different disciplines. Contents: If Bertlmann had Three Feet (A Afriat); Macroscopic Interpretability of Quantum Component Systems (R Ascoli); Entanglement State Preparation in Experiments on Quantum Non-Locality (V Berardi & A Garuccio); Mathematics and Epistemology in Planck''s Theoretical Work (1898OCo1915) (P Campogalliani); The Electromagnetic Conception of Nature and the Origins of Quantum Physics (E A Giannetto); An Objective Background for Quantum Theory Relaying on Thermodynamic Concepts (L Lanz & B Vacchini); The Entrance of Quantum Mechanics in Italy: From Garbasso to Fermi (M Leone & N Robotti); Antonio Gramsci''s Reflection on Quantum Mechanics (I Tassani); The Role of Logic and Mathematics in the Heisenberg Formulation of Quantum Mechanics (A Venezia); Space-Time at the Planck Scale: The Quantum Computer View (P A Zizzi); and other papers. Readership: Physicists interested in the foundation of quantum mechanics; historians interested in the history and development of modern physics; philosophers interested in the epistemology and philosophy of modern physics."

Author : Adam Becker
Publisher : Basic Books
Page : 418 pages
File Size : 40,8 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 : Andrew Rex
Publisher : CRC Press
Page : 258 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2014-02-12
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781466560178

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Commonly Asked Questions in Physics by Andrew Rex Pdf

In the 300 years since Newton’s seminal work, physics has explained many things that used to be mysterious. Particularly in the last century, physics has addressed a range of questions, from the smallest fundamental particles to the large-scale structure and history of the entire universe. But there are always more questions. Suitable for a wide audience, Commonly Asked Questions in Physics covers a broad scope of subjects, from classical physics that goes back to the age of Newton to new ideas just formulated in the twenty-first century. The book highlights the core areas of physics that predate the twentieth century, including mechanics, electromagnetism, optics, and thermodynamics. It also focuses on modern physics, covering quantum mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics, fundamental particles, and relativity. Each chapter explains the numbers and units used to measure things and some chapters include a "Going Deeper" feature that provides more mathematical details for readers who are up to the challenge. The suggested readings at the end of each chapter range from classic textbooks to some of the best books written for the general public, offering readers the option to study the topic in more depth. Physics affects our lives nearly every day—using cell phones, taking x-rays, and much more. Keeping the mathematics at a very basic level, this accessible book addresses many physics questions frequently posed by physics students, scientists in other fields, and the wider public.