The Conscious Universe

The Conscious Universe PDF Author: Menas Kafatos
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1468403605
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 214

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Book Description
This discussion resulted from a dialogue which began some seven years ago between a physicist who specializes in astrophysics, general relativity, and the foundations of quantum theory, and a student of cultural history who had done post-doctoral work in the history and philosophy of science. Both of us at that time were awaiting the results of some experiments being conducted under the direction of the physicist Alain Aspect at the University of Paris-South. ! The experiments were the last in a series designed to test some predictions based on a mathematical 2 theorem published in 1964 by John Bell. There was no expectation that the results of these experiments would provide the basis for developing new technologies. The questions which the experiments were designed to answer concerned the relation ship between physical reality and physical theory in the branch of physics known as quantum mechanics. Like most questions raised by physicists which lead to startling new insights, they were disarmingly simple and direct. Is quantum physics, asked Bell, a self-consistent theory whose predictions would hold in a new class of experiments, or would the results reveal that the apparent challenges of quantum physics to the understanding in classical physics of the relationship between physical theory and physical reality were merely illusory? Answering this question in actual experiments could also, suggested Bell, lead to another, quite dramatic, result.

The Conscious Universe

The Conscious Universe PDF Author: Menas Kafatos
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1468403605
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 214

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Book Description
This discussion resulted from a dialogue which began some seven years ago between a physicist who specializes in astrophysics, general relativity, and the foundations of quantum theory, and a student of cultural history who had done post-doctoral work in the history and philosophy of science. Both of us at that time were awaiting the results of some experiments being conducted under the direction of the physicist Alain Aspect at the University of Paris-South. ! The experiments were the last in a series designed to test some predictions based on a mathematical 2 theorem published in 1964 by John Bell. There was no expectation that the results of these experiments would provide the basis for developing new technologies. The questions which the experiments were designed to answer concerned the relation ship between physical reality and physical theory in the branch of physics known as quantum mechanics. Like most questions raised by physicists which lead to startling new insights, they were disarmingly simple and direct. Is quantum physics, asked Bell, a self-consistent theory whose predictions would hold in a new class of experiments, or would the results reveal that the apparent challenges of quantum physics to the understanding in classical physics of the relationship between physical theory and physical reality were merely illusory? Answering this question in actual experiments could also, suggested Bell, lead to another, quite dramatic, result.

Cracking the Quantum Code of the Universe

Cracking the Quantum Code of the Universe PDF Author: John Moffat
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199915520
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
If the new boson is indeed the Higgs particle, its discovery represents an important milestone in the history of particle physics. However, despite the pressure to award Nobel Prizes to physicists associated with the Higgs boson, John Moffat argues that there still remain important data analyses to be performed before uncorking the champagne. John Moffat is Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Toronto and a senior researcher at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. Well-known for his outside-the-box research on topics such as dark matter, dark energy, and the varying speed of light cosmology (VSL), his new book takes a critical look at the hype surrounding the Higgs boson. In the process, he presents a cogent and often entertaining history of particle physics and an exploration of alternative theories of particle physics that do not feature the Higgs boson, including his own. He gives a detailed and personal description of how theoretical physicists come up with new theories, and emphasizes how carefully experimental physicists must interpret the complex data now coming out of accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The book does not shy away from controversial topics such as the sociology of particle physics. There is immense pressure on projects like the $9 billion LHC to come up with positive results in order to secure funding for the future. Yet to date, the Higgs boson may be the only positive result to emerge from the LHC experiments. The searches for dark matter particles, mini-black holes, extra dimensions, and supersymmetric particles have all come up empty-handed, with serious consequences for theoretical physics, including string theory and gravity theory. John Moffat is also the author of Reinventing Gravity (2008) and Einstein Wrote Back (2010).

 PDF Author:
Publisher: NEEHAR SANADHAYA
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description


Understanding the properties and behavior of the COSMOS

Understanding the properties and behavior of the COSMOS PDF Author: Don Hainesworth
Publisher: Palibrio
ISBN: 1463300719
Category : Cosmology
Languages : en
Pages : 637

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Book Description


The Special Theory of Relativity

The Special Theory of Relativity PDF Author: Dennis Morris
Publisher: Mercury Learning and Information
ISBN: 1944534385
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 286

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Book Description
This book concentrates on presenting the theory of special relativity as the geometry of space-time. The presentation is straightforward, complete and reader-friendly, with explanatory asides, that give historical context and links with other branches of physics and mathematics. The first four chapters give a complete description of the special theory and the nature of space and time, with the minimum use of mathematics. The mathematics necessary is introduced in the following five chapters, with the final fifteen chapters devoted to a comprehensive and detailed exposition of Einstein’s special relativity. Features: * Concentrates on presenting the theory of special relativity as the geometry of space-time * The presentation is straightforward, complete and reader-friendly, with explanatory asides, which give historical context and links with other branches of physics and mathematics

The Human Project and the Temptations of Science

The Human Project and the Temptations of Science PDF Author: Lansana Keita
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004495150
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Book Description
On account of the impressive yield of empirical science since the dawn of modern era, theorists of human behavior have sought eagerly to adopt its methodology to explain and predict behavior in the same way that natural science does with respect to natural phenomena. Thus, the positivist principle endorsed the unity of science approach to both the natural and social worlds. Modern social science, in its specific forms of sociology, economics, and so on, confidently embraced the positivist principle. In a short period of time, political economy was transformed into economic science. The goal was to purge the social sciences of their supposedly evaluative content. In due course, the idea of objective scientific truth came to be questioned along with the positivist paradigm. Epistemological relativism à la Kuhn is to be credited with this intellectual shift. But this novel theoretical approach was more easily accommodated by epistemologists of science than scientists themselves. Scientists hardly questioned their methodologies of research and the cognitive field of successful theories. Similarly, in the social sciences, neoclassical economics remained dominant. The neoclassical motto was that economics as science answered only questions of efficiency, not evaluative questions of social justice. The Human Project and the Temptations of Science argues that the model of epistemological unity, at one time embracing positivism, at another time supporting epistemological relativism, is questionable. While empirical science does yield knowledge of the natural world, knowledge of the social world - the world of humans - is necessarily value-laden. Despite the quantitative veneer of neoclassical economics - the dominant paradigm in economics - economic analysis cannot avoid questions of value. The reason is that its foundational concepts, such as rationality and the maximization of expected utility, reflect the necessary value-oriented nature of human behavior. The question posed, then, by The Human Project and the Temptations of Science is what sort of optimal values should humans adopt.

Physics and Astrophysics

Physics and Astrophysics PDF Author: Subal Kar
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000559203
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 266

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Book Description
Physics and Astrophysics—Glimpses of the Progress provides a comprehensive account of physics and astrophysics from the time of Aristotle to the modern era of Stephen Hawking and beyond. It takes the readers of all ages through a pleasant journey touching on the major discoveries and inventions that have taken place in both the macro-world, including that in the cosmos, and the micro-world of atomic and subatomic particles related to physics and astrophysics. Use of historical perspective and anecdote makes the storytelling on the progress of physics and astrophysics both interesting and absorbing. While peering through different developments in these fields, the book never compromises with the sanctity of the scientific content, including the depth and beauty of the physical concept of the topics concerned and the philosophical viewpoints they represent. Where appropriate, the book also delves into value judgments of life that affect our civilization. Features The intricate concepts of physics and astrophysics are explained in simple terms and in easy-to-understand language. Physics and astrophysics are discussed in a connected and correlated way in a single volume of comprehensive size but in totality, which to date is the unique feature of this book. Starting with Aristotle’s Physics and going through the work of Newton, Einstein, Schrödinger, Hubble, Hewish, Hawking, and others, including the present research on dark energy, dark matter, and the fifth force of nature, the reader will be kept absorbed and spellbound. In addition to the fundamental principles of Newtonian mechanics, Einstein’s relativity, quantum mechanics, string theory, loop quantum gravity, and so on, the cutting-edge technologies of recent times, such as the Large Hadron Collider, Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, and Event Horizon Telescope, are also explored. The book is aimed primarily at undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and professionals studying physics and astrophysics. General readers will also find the book useful to quench their thirst for knowledge about the developments in physics and astrophysics.

How The Universe Works: Introduction To Modern Cosmology

How The Universe Works: Introduction To Modern Cosmology PDF Author: Serge L Parnovsky
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9813234962
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 186

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Book Description
'This volume fills a gap between books for lay readers and books for serious students of cosmology. An undergraduate student seeking a big picture understanding of cosmology and an easy introduction to the mathematics involved will find this book very useful. Each section concludes with a helpful summary in question-answer format. This is really useful in answering some questions and clarifying concepts that really do get addressed properly in the running prose format. Various lucid, simple graphs illustrate concepts throughout the text. A particularly refreshing aspect is the authors’ respect for the reader’s intelligence: they clearly admit where scientists still do not know the answers and at best can speculate.'CHOICENamed an Outstanding Academic Title of 2019 by CHOICEThis book is about the history and the current state of the art in the exciting field of cosmology — the science about the Universe as a whole, which is guaranteed to attract the attention of a wide range of readers. It mostly aims to explain the main ideas of modern cosmology: the expanding Universe, its creation in a Big Bang, its evolution, characteristics, and structure, as well as issues — dark matter and dark energy, black holes and other exotic objects etc. It also answers most frequently asked questions about cosmology.How the Universe Works stands between a popular science book and a textbook, acting as a sort of a bridge across the great chasm separating popular science from true science. It can be also used as an introductory textbook for undergraduate students. It is also suitable for the non-experts in cosmology who wish to have an overview of the current state of the field. It is different from most popular science books because it avoids cutting corners in explanations and contains justification for various assumptions or estimations made in cosmology. It does not hide problems faced by modern cosmology as well as issues the community has no consensus about. It also does not try to pass hypotheses for established theories, which is not uncommon in scholarly articles.

A Simple Story of a Not-So-Simple Universe

A Simple Story of a Not-So-Simple Universe PDF Author: Jerry Miller
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 143638978X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 133

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Book Description
At the time of my retirement on March 31, 2006, I challenged myself with a handful of goals. With this publication, all have now been accomplished. Initially, I did not plan to publish. I did plan to write a manuscript or a story . . . or just write something about the universe. I felt compelled to give my fascination with the universe some sort of order, something that would punctuate my life. Upon completion, I wondered if it might have some merit to others and scoped out the thought of publication. I found the manuscript very readable and relatively elementary. It should prove interesting to science students of all levels as well as all people interested in the universe.

Space and Time

Space and Time PDF Author: Laurentiu Mihaescu
Publisher: Microsys
ISBN: 6069456246
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 55

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Book Description
Considering the special mechanics of a granular space, the theory of relativity must be reformulated to include the absolute frames or references and to describe the real perception of various observers on a body in motion. As the same mechanics established the laws of physics and allowed the primordial matter to self-organize and create increasingly larger cosmic formations, new explanations can now be given, shedding light on the formation and evolution of our universe and elucidating the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy. Moreover, the granular model can also help us to find out if a certain physical quantity is continuous or discrete at different dimensional scales.