Download or read book Re Thinking Time at the Interface of Physics and Philosophy written by Albrecht von Müller and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-05-19 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The current volume of the Parmenides Series “On Thinking” addresses our deepest and most personal experience of the world, the experience of “the present,” from a modern perspective combining physics and philosophy. Many prominent researchers have contributed articles to the volume, in which they present models and express their opinions on and, in some cases, also their skepticism about the subject and how it may be (or may not be) addressed, as well as which aspects they consider most relevant in this context. While Einstein might have once hoped that “the present” would find its place in the theory of general relativity, in a later discussion with Carnap he expressed his disappointment that he was never able to achieve this goal. This collection of articles provides a unique overview of different modern approaches, representing not only a valuable summary for experts, but also a nearly inexhaustible source of profound and novel ideas for those who are simply interested in this question.
Download or read book Emergent Quantum Mechanics written by Jan Walleczek and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2019-04-02 with total page 544 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Emergent quantum mechanics explores the possibility of an ontology for quantum mechanics. The resurgence of interest in "deeper-level" theories for quantum phenomena challenges the standard, textbook interpretation. The book presents expert views that critically evaluate the significance—for 21st century physics—of ontological quantum mechanics, an approach that David Bohm helped pioneer. The possibility of a deterministic quantum theory was first introduced with the original de Broglie-Bohm theory, which has also been developed as Bohmian mechanics. The wide range of perspectives that were contributed to this book on the occasion of David Bohm’s centennial celebration provide ample evidence for the physical consistency of ontological quantum mechanics. The book addresses deeper-level questions such as the following: Is reality intrinsically random or fundamentally interconnected? Is the universe local or nonlocal? Might a radically new conception of reality include a form of quantum causality or quantum ontology? What is the role of the experimenter agent? As the book demonstrates, the advancement of ‘quantum ontology’—as a scientific concept—marks a clear break with classical reality. The search for quantum reality entails unconventional causal structures and non-classical ontology, which can be fully consistent with the known record of quantum observations in the laboratory.
Download or read book What is Fundamental written by Anthony Aguirre and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-03-21 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are there truly fundamental entities in nature? Or are the things that we regard as fundamental in our theories – for example space, time or the masses of elementary particles – merely awaiting a derivation from a new, yet to be discovered theory based on elements that are more fundamental? This was the central question posed in the 2018 FQXi essay competition, which drew more than 200 entries from professional physicists, philosophers, and other scholars. This volume presents enhanced versions of the fifteen award-winning essays, giving a spectrum of views and insights on this fascinating topic. From a prescription for “when to stop digging” to the case for strong emergence, the reader will find here a plethora of stimulating and challenging ideas - presented in a largely non-technical manner - on which to sharpen their understanding of the language of physics and even the nature of reality.
Download or read book From Divine Timemaker to Divine Watchmaker written by R.T. Mullins and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2024-10-24 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers the most extensive exploration of divine temporality to date. It focuses on five main questions. First, what is time? Second, how is God responsible for the existence of time? Third, what does it mean to say that God is temporal? Fourth, what kind of structure might God give to a time series? Fifth, what are the implications for theological doctrines such as the Trinity, creation, providence, and life after death? The author offers a deep, critical engagement with the Christian tradition but also goes beyond to build analytic bridges to Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, and Jainist philosophical theology. The book provides an up-to-date discussion of issues within analytic metaphysics, philosophy of time, and philosophy of religion and draws on the resources of contemporary systematic, historical, and biblical theology.
Download or read book Knowledge and Time written by Hans Primas and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-05-23 with total page 431 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a unique volume by a unique scientist, which combines conceptual, formal, and engineering approaches in a way that is rarely seen. Its core is the relation between ways of learning and knowing on the one hand and different modes of time on the other. Partial Boolean logic and the associated notion of complementarity are used to express this relation, and mathematical tools of fundamental physics are used to formalize it. Along the way many central philosophical problems are touched and addressed, above all the mind-body problem. Completed only shortly before the death of the author, the text has been edited and annotated by the author's close collaborator Harald Atmanspacher.
Download or read book Collapse of the Wave Function written by Shan Gao and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018-04-26 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An overview of the collapse theories of quantum mechanics. Written by distinguished physicists and philosophers of physics, it discusses the origin and implications of wave-function collapse, the controversies around collapse models and their ontologies, and new arguments for the reality of wave function collapse.
Download or read book 100 Years of Chronogeometrodynamics The Status of the Einstein s Theory of Gravitation in Its Centennial Year written by Lorenzo Iorio and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2018-07-10 with total page 469 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "100 Years of Chronogeometrodynamics: the Status of the Einstein's Theory of Gravitation in Its Centennial Year" that was published in Universe
Download or read book Death and Nonexistence written by Palle Yourgrau and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A successful attempt to provide a metaphysics of death must at the same time resolve the paradox of nonexistence--that there must be something "there" that fails to exist. This is the aim of Palle Yourgrau's Death and Nonexistence, which provides an ontology of death, i.e. of ceasing to exist, and at the same time, an ontology of birth, i.e. coming to exist. The primary thesis of this book is that this requires expanding one's ontology beyond existence and nonexistence to include what underlies both, namely, "being". The dead lack existence, but not being. Moreover, though they have forfeited their existence, they maintain their essence as human beings, just like the living.
Download or read book Concept and Formalization of Constellatory Self Unfolding written by Albrecht von Müller and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-05-29 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume offers a fundamentally different way of conceptualizing time and reality. Today, we see time predominantly as the linear-sequential order of events, and reality accordingly as consisting of facts that can be ordered along sequential time. But what if this conceptualization has us mistaking the “exhausts” for the “real thing”, i.e. if we miss the best, the actual taking place of reality as it occurs in a very differently structured, primordial form of time, the time-space of the present? In this new conceptual framework, both the sequential aspect of time and the factual aspect of reality are emergent phenomena that come into being only after reality has actually taken place. In the new view, facts are just the “traces” that the actual taking place of reality leaves behind on the co-emergent “canvas’’ of local spacetime. Local spacetime itself emerges only as facts come into being – and only facts can be adequately localized in it. But, how does reality then actually occur? It is conceived as a “constellatory self-unfolding”, characterized by strong self-referentiality, and taking place in the primordial form of time, the not yet sequentially structured “time-space of the present”. Time is seen here as an ontophainetic platform, i.e. as the stage on which reality can first occur. This view of time (and, thus, also space) seems to be very much in accordance with what we encounter in quantum physics before the so-called collapse of the wave function. In parallel, classical and relativistic physics largely operate within the factual portrait of reality, and the sequential aspect of time, respectively. Only singularities constitute an important exemption: here the canvas of local spacetime – that emerged together with factization – melts down again. In the novel framework quantum reduction and singularities can be seen and addressed as inverse transitions: In quantum physical state reduction reality “gains” the chrono-ontological format of facticity, and the sequential aspect of time becomes applicable. In singularities, by contrast, the inverse happens: Reality loses its local spacetime formation and reverts back into its primordial, pre-local shape – making in this way the use of causality relations, Boolean logic and the dichotomization of subject and object obsolete. For our understanding of the relation between quantum and relativistic physics this new view opens up fundamentally new perspectives: Both are legitimate views of time and reality, they just address very different chrono-ontological portraits, and thus should not lead us to erroneously subjugating one view under the other. The task of the book is to provide a formal framework in which this radically different view of time and reality can be addressed properly. The mathematical approach is based on the logical and topological features of the Borromean Rings. It draws upon concepts and methods of algebraic and geometric topology – especially the theory of sheaves and links, group theory, logic and information theory, in relation to the standard constructions employed in quantum mechanics and general relativity, shedding new light on the pestilential problems of their compatibility. The intended audience includes physicists, mathematicians and philosophers with an interest in the conceptual and mathematical foundations of modern physics.
Download or read book Inertia and Gravitation written by Herbert Pfister and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-02-24 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book focuses on the phenomena of inertia and gravitation, one objective being to shed some new light on the basic laws of gravitational interaction and the fundamental nature and structures of spacetime. Chapter 1 is devoted to an extensive, partly new analysis of the law of inertia. The underlying mathematical and geometrical structure of Newtonian spacetime is presented from a four-dimensional point of view, and some historical difficulties and controversies - in particular the concepts of free particles and straight lines - are critically analyzed, while connections to projective geometry are also explored. The relativistic extensions of the law of gravitation and its intriguing consequences are studied in Chapter 2. This is achieved, following the works of Weyl, Ehlers, Pirani and Schild, by adopting a point of view of the combined conformal and projective structure of spacetime. Specifically, Mach’s fundamental critique of Newton’s concepts of ‘absolute space’ and ‘absolute time’ was a decisive motivation for Einstein’s development of general relativity, and his equivalence principle provided a new perspective on inertia. In Chapter 3 the very special mathematical structure of Einstein’s field equations is analyzed, and some of their remarkable physical predictions are presented. By analyzing different types of dragging phenomena, Chapter 4 reviews to what extent the equivalence principle is realized in general relativity - a question intimately connected to the ‘new force’ of gravitomagnetism, which was theoretically predicted by Einstein and Thirring but which was only recently experimentally confirmed and is thus of current interest.
Download or read book Understanding Quantum Mechanics written by Detlef Dürr and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-03-16 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book discusses the physical and mathematical foundations of modern quantum mechanics and three realistic quantum theories that John Stuart Bell called "theories without observers" because they do not merely speak about measurements but develop an objective picture of the physical world. These are Bohmian mechanics, the GRW collapse theory, and the Many Worlds theory. The book is ideal to accompany or supplement a lecture course on quantum mechanics, but also suited for self-study, particularly for those who have completed such a course but are left puzzled by the question: "What does the mathematical formalism, which I have so laboriously learned and applied, actually tell us about nature?”
Download or read book Insight and Intuition Two Sides of the Same Coin written by Michael Öllinger and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2018-07-12 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Insight and intuition might be the most mysterious and fascinating fields of human thinking and problem solving. They are different from standard and analytical problem solving accounts and provide the basis for creative and innovative thinking. Until now they were investigated in separate academic fields with differing tradition. Therefore, this eBook attempts to bridge the gap between both processes and to provide a more integrated perspective. Several experts address the underlying cognitive processes and provide a broad spectrum of new empirical, theoretical, and methodological insights.
Download or read book Rethinking the Concept of Law of Nature written by Yemima Ben-Menahem and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-06-13 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book subjects the traditional concept of law of nature to critical examination. There are two kinds of reasons that invite this reexamination, one deriving from philosophical concerns over the traditional concept, the other motivated by theoretical and practical changes in science. One of the philosophical worries is that the idiom of law of nature, especially when combined with the notion of laws 'governing' individual events and processes, is no longer as intelligible as it used to be in the theistic context in which the formulation of laws became central to science. The traditional concept is also challenged in various ways by contemporary scientific theories such as quantum mechanics, chaos theory and the general theory of relativity. It is no longer clear that there are any universal laws, laws do not always guarantee predictability, and the border between physical and mathematical considerations is constantly shifting. The most difficult challenge, perhaps, is to come up with a scientific explanation of the origin of laws. Wrestling with these intriguing problems, the papers in this volume broaden both our understanding of the natural order and our desiderata of scientific explanation.
Download or read book The End of Time written by Julian Barbour and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2001-11-29 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Richard Feynman once quipped that "Time is what happens when nothing else does." But Julian Barbour disagrees: if nothing happened, if nothing changed, then time would stop. For time is nothing but change. It is change that we perceive occurring all around us, not time. Put simply, time does not exist. In this highly provocative volume, Barbour presents the basic evidence for a timeless universe, and shows why we still experience the world as intensely temporal. It is a book that strikes at the heart of modern physics. It casts doubt on Einstein's greatest contribution, the spacetime continuum, but also points to the solution of one of the great paradoxes of modern science, the chasm between classical and quantum physics. Indeed, Barbour argues that the holy grail of physicists--the unification of Einstein's general relativity with quantum mechanics--may well spell the end of time. Barbour writes with remarkable clarity as he ranges from the ancient philosophers Heraclitus and Parmenides, through the giants of science Galileo, Newton, and Einstein, to the work of the contemporary physicists John Wheeler, Roger Penrose, and Steven Hawking. Along the way he treats us to enticing glimpses of some of the mysteries of the universe, and presents intriguing ideas about multiple worlds, time travel, immortality, and, above all, the illusion of motion. The End of Time is a vibrantly written and revolutionary book. It turns our understanding of reality inside-out.
Download or read book What Makes Time Special written by Craig Callender and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017-06-30 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As we navigate through life we instinctively model time as having a flowing present that divides a fixed past from open future. This model develops in childhood and is deeply saturated within our language, thought and behavior, affecting our conceptions of the universe, freedom and the self. Yet as central as it is to our lives, physics seems to have no room for this flowing present. What Makes Time Special? demonstrates this claim in detail and then turns to two novel positive tasks. First, by looking at the world "sideways" - in the spatial directions -- it shows that physics is not "spatializing time" as is commonly alleged. Even relativity theory makes significant distinctions between the spacelike and timelike directions, often with surprising consequences. Second, if the flowing present is an illusion, it is a deep one worthy of explanation. The author develops a picture whereby the temporal flow arises as an interaction effect between an observer and the physics of the world. Using insights from philosophy, cognitive science, biology, psychology and physics, the theory claims that the flowing present model of time is the natural reaction to the perceptual and evolutionary challenges thrown at us. Modeling time as flowing makes sense even if it misrepresents it.
Download or read book This Is Metaphysics written by Kris McDaniel and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2020-05-07 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Metaphysics—the philosophical study of the nature of reality—is a dynamic sub-field which encompasses many of the most fundamental and elusive questions in contemporary analytic philosophy. A concise and focused introduction to contemporary metaphysics, This is Metaphysics: An Introduction takes readers with minimal technical knowledge of the field on a guided tour of the intellectual landscape of the discipline. Approachable and engaging, the book covers a broad range of key topics and principles in metaphysics, including classification, the nature and existence of properties, ontology, the nature of possibility and necessity, and fundamental questions concerning being and existence. Each chapter challenges readers to grapple with thought-provoking examples that build upon the seminal theoretical contributions of contemporary metaphysicians like Peter van Inwagen and David Lewis, and concludes with a “Doing Metaphysics” section encouraging readers to think through substantive metaphysical questions while weighing possible arguments and objections. A thoughtful and comprehensive introduction provides a framework for author Kris McDaniel’s pedagogical approach, and each section incorporates multi-platform online resources and plentiful footnotes to support further reading and deeper conceptual engagement. A welcome addition to the popular This is Philosophy series, This is Metaphysics is a reader-friendly survey of metaphysics for philosophy majors, undergraduates in introductory philosophy courses, and curious members of the general public interested in investigating this expansive and enigmatic area of study.
Download or read book The Situated Self written by Jenann Ismael and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2007-01-04 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text focuses on the metaphysics and the philosophy of language and mind. It tackles a philosophical question whose origin goes back to Descartes: What am I? The self is not a mere thing among things - but if so, what is it, and what is its relationship to the world?
