Renaissance Academy- Edison Charter School
Philadelphia, PA
An
excerpt from:Appearance and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Physics
By Peter Kosso
Oxford University Press, 1998Relativity and Realism
Bohr's claim about the limitations of physics, and the inability to know how nature really is, was motivated by quantum mechanics. There is something about the quantum mechanical description of nature that suggests and, for Bohr and those who share his interpretation, justifies the anti-realism.
We will
get to quantum mechanics and see what it is about that theory that
provokes the idea that all we can know are appearances. But first we
should see if the theory of relativity, the special theory of
relativity, and the general theory of relativity together is in any way
as provocative. The question for this chapter is whether Bohr's claim is
in any way suggested or supported by the details of relativity. Perhaps
the most evenhanded and the most informative way to put it is this: In
what sense is relativity about how nature is, and in what sense is it
only about how nature appears?
To what extent is relativity about a reality that is independent of us and our
way of looking at things, and to what extent is it about us and our interactions
with nature?
Physics Meets Philosophy at the Planck Scale: Contemporary Theories in Quantum
Gravity
by Craig Callender, Nick Huggett (Editors)
Cambridge University Press, 2001
Editorial Reviews (@amazon.com)
A collection of classical and contemporary papers in fundamental
physics, inciting a provocative discussion of the theory of quantum
gravity, which is still much speculated. Topics covered include the fate
of spacetime in various theories, the 'problem of time' in canonical
quantum gravity, and others exciting topics.
Book Description (@amazon.com):
The greatest challenge in fundamental physics attempts to reconcile
quantum mechanics and general relativity in a theory of "quantum
gravity." The project suggests a profound revision of the notions of
space, time and matter. It has become a key topic of debate and
collaboration between physicists and philosophers. This volume collects
classic and original contributions from leading experts in both fields
for a provocative discussion of the issues. It contains accessible
introductions to the main and less-well-known known approaches to
quantum gravity. It includes exciting topics such as the fate of
spacetime in various theories, the so-called "problem of time" in
canonical quantum gravity, black hole thermodynamics, and the
relationship between the interpretation of quantum theory and quantum
gravity. This book will be essential reading for anyone interested in
the profound implications of trying to marry the two most important
theories in physics.