| Description |
1 online resource (431 pages) |
| Contents |
880-01 Cover; Acknowledgements; Contents; Part I Overview; Overture for Ants; 1 Introduction; 1.1 Dynamical versus adynamical explanation; 1.2 The impasse; 1.3 How did we get here?; 1.4 God's-eye physics to the rescue; Foundational Physics for Chapter 1; Part II Adynamical Explanation: Physics; 2 The Block Universe from Special Relativity; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 Abridged introduction to special relativity; 2.3 Relativity of simultaneity; Philosophy of Physics for Chapter 2; 2.4 Introduction; 2.5 The argument from the relativity of simultaneity; 2.5.1 General outline and definition of terms |
|
880-01/Hani 4.11 The SchrA䩮ger equation4.12 The Mermin experiment explained via RBW; 4.13 The adynamical global constraint of RBW; 4.14 RBW analysis of the twin-slit experiment; 5 Relational Blockworld and Quantum Field Theory; 5.1 Introduction; 5.2 A brief history of unification; 5.3 Abridged introduction to quantum field theory; 5.4 An adynamical approach to particle physics; Philosophy of Physics for Chapter 5; 5.5 Introduction; 5.6 Gauge invariance, gauge fixing, and the Aharonova#x80;#x93;Bohm effect; 5.7 Regularization and renormalization |
|
2.5.2 RoS argument2.6 Presentist points of contention; 2.6.1 Deflationary objections: No presentist/eternalist distinction; 2.6.2 Compatibilist and incompatibilist objections; 2.7 Response to objection; 2.7.1 Defining terms: Establishing a metaphysical presentist/eternalist distinction; 2.7.2 The transitivity of reality; 2.7.3 Against the point presentist; 2.7.4 Preferred foliations in spacetime; 2.7.5 The spatial presentist: Absurdity in incompatibilist presentism?; 2.8 Conclusion; Appendix A: Against the dynamical interpretation of special relativity |
|
Appendix B: Objection to RoS argument from a preferred frame or time as fundamentalFoundational Physics for Chapter 2; 3 Resolving Puzzles, Problems, and Paradoxes from General Relativity; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Abridged introduction to general relativity; 3.3 Big Bang cosmology and its inexplicable initial conditions; 3.4 The paradoxes of closed timelike curves; Philosophy of Physics for Chapter 3; 3.5 Introduction; 3.6 General relativity and the block universe; 3.7 The Big Bang and the Past Hypothesis in the dynamical universe; Foundational Physics for Chapter 3 |
|
4 Relational Blockworld and Quantum Mechanics4.1 Introduction; 4.2 Abridged introduction to quantum mechanics; 4.3 Quantum superposition, entanglement, and quantum nonlocality; 4.4 Experimental instantiations of quantum weirdness; 4.5 RBW on the interpretational issues of quantum mechanics; 4.6 RBW and quantum information theory; Philosophy of Physics for Chapter 4; 4.7 Introduction; 4.8 Contextual emergence defined; 4.9 RBW and ontological spatiotemporal contextuality: A subset of ontological contextual emergence; 4.10 A realist, psi-epistemic account; Foundational Physics for Chapter 4 |
|
4.11 The SchrÃœdinger equation4.12 The Mermin experiment explained via RBW; 4.13 The adynamical global constraint of RBW; 4.14 RBW analysis of the twin-slit experiment; 5 Relational Blockworld and Quantum Field Theory; 5.1 Introduction; 5.2 A brief history of unification; 5.3 Abridged introduction to quantum field theory; 5.4 An adynamical approach to particle physics; Philosophy of Physics for Chapter 5; 5.5 Introduction; 5.6 Gauge invariance, gauge fixing, and the Aharonovâ#x80;#x93;Bohm effect; 5.7 Regularization and renormalization |
| Summary |
Theoretical physics and foundations of physics have not made much progress in the last few decades. Whether we are talking about unifying general relativity and quantum field theory (quantum gravity), explaining so-called dark energy and dark matter (cosmology), or the interpretation and implications of quantum mechanics and relativity, there is no consensus in sight. In addition, both enterprises are deeply puzzled about various facets of time including above all, time as experienced. The authors argue that, across the board, this impasse is the result of the "dynamical universe paradigm," the idea that reality is fundamentally made up of physical entities that evolve in time from some initial state according to dynamical laws. Thus, in the dynamical universe, the initial conditions plus the dynamical laws explain everything else going exclusively forward in time. In cosmology, for example, the initial conditions reside in the Big Bang and the dynamical law is supplied by general relativity. Accordingly, the present state of the universe is explained exclusively by its past. This book offers a completely new paradigm (called Relational Blockworld), whereby the past, present and future co-determine each other via "adynamical global constraints," such as the least action principle. Accordingly, the future is just as important for explaining the present as is the past. Most of the book is devoted to showing how Relational Blockworld resolves many of the current conundrums of both theoretical physics and foundations of physics, including the mystery of time as experienced and how that experience relates to the block universe |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Notes |
Online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on April 03, 2018) |
| Subject |
Quantum theory.
|
|
Relativity (Physics)
|
|
Quantum Theory
|
|
SCIENCE -- Cosmology.
|
|
Philosophy.
|
|
Quantum theory.
|
|
Relativity (Physics)
|
| SUBJECT |
Universe -- Philosophy
|
| Subject |
Universe.
|
| Form |
Electronic book
|
| Author |
Stuckey, William Mark, author.
|
|
McDevitt, Timothy, author
|
| ISBN |
9780191844850 |
|
0191844853 |
|
9780192533838 |
|
0192533835 |
|
