Why Philosophy of Physics is Awesome Niels Martens
- Slides: 22
Why Philosophy of Physics is Awesome! Niels Martens DPhil Candidate Philosophy of Physics Oxford University
Epistemolo gy Metaphys ics Philosophy of Science (Anti)-realism Phil of Mathematics Gravity, Space, Time & Spacetime Specific sciences Scientific method Phil of Biology Quantum (info) Phil of Mind Phil of Physics Thermodynamics/ Statistical Mechanics
Philosophy @ Oxford �Philosophy, Politics & Economics �Philosophy & Theology �Psychology, Philosophy & Linguistics �Philosophy & Modern Languages �Classics �Mathematics & Philosophy �Computer Science & Philosophy �Physics & Philosophy
Oxford Philosophers of Physics
Philosophy of Space
Philosophy of Space �Is space real? �Einstein’s Relativity Theory �Time slows down! �Space contracts! �Cosmology/Big Bang �Emergent Space(time)
Leibniz-Clarke Correspondence Newton Clarke SUBSTANTIVALISM �Space exists! �It makes sense to talk about empty space �‘Even if there is no play tonight, theatre is still Leibniz RELATIONALISM �All talk about space is reducible to talk about relations between particles �Compare with family relations
“Leibniz shifts”: space must be relational �Principle of Sufficient Reason
Immanuel Kant: Let’s use your left and right hands �There is a difference between your right and left hand �The relationalist explains the different handedness of two objects via relations �What about a single hand in an empty universe?
“Newton’s bucket”: let’s look at science! Ernst Mach �The relative motion between bucket and water is the same in picture 1 and 3, but the relative motion with respect to the stars is not! �Problem: physics becomes nonlocal
Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics
Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics �Metaphysics: What does the world look like according to quantum mechanics? �Quantum information �Probability/determinism/free will
Interpreting Quantum Mechanics �Does light (and everything else in the world) consist of particles? Or waves? �Photo-electric effect (Einstein Nobel Price): particles �Double split experiment: waves
Double slit experiment
Double slit experiment
Double slit experiment
Double slit experiment
Double slit experiment �Does each photon (light particle) go through both slits at the same time? Can we measure which slit it goes through? �Even if you only send one photon through the slits, we still get a (probabilistic) interference pattern! � Photons are waves (and electrons, and protons, and all other matter) �You cannot say that there is a localised particle that goes through one of the two slits: there is a wave that goes through both slits: the photon is in a SUPERPOSITION of going through the left and the right slit at the same time
This is absurd! �So, at the smallest scale, our world consists of quantum waves: light, electrons, protons, everything is a quantum wave, meaning that the `particles’ are at several places at the same time. Schrödinger (Magdalen College Alumnus): This cannot be true. If it would be true, it should also apply to large objects (since they are made up out of small objects), and it would b absurd to have a large object - like a table - being here and somewhere else at the same time! We never see tables in superpositions!
Schrödinger’s cat
Ways out �Instrumentalism (or the shut-up-and-calculate school) �Measurement `collapses the wavefunction’ �If you measure with a big apparatus, you will find the particle or cat in one specific location/state: the probability of that location/state depends on how big the wave is at that point. �Consciousness `collapses the wavefunction’ �Pilot-wave theory �Many-worlds interpretation
Questions?
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