Philosophy of physics : a very short introduction
- Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2021
- 142 p. ; ill., 18 cm
- Very short introductions v.668 .
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Philosophy of Physics: A Very Short Introduction explores the core topics of philosophy of physics through three key themes: the nature of space and time; the origin of irreversibility and probability in the physics of large systems; how we can make sense of quantum mechanics. Central issues discussed include: the scientific method as it applies in modern physics; the distinction between absolute and relative motion; the way that distinction changes between Newton's physics and special relativity; what spacetime is and how it relates to the laws of physics; how fundamental physics can make no distinction between past and future and yet a clear distinction exists in the world we see around us; why it is so difficult to understand quantum mechanics, and why doing so might push us to change our fundamental physics, to rethink the nature of science, or even to accept the existence of parallel universes.
9780198814320
Quantum theory Absolute space Bell's inequality Coarse- grained descriptions deBroglie- Bohm theory Everett interpretation Geometry first approach Newton's theory Hidden-variable theories Ideal gas law No-signalling theorem Quantum states String theory Time ditation Uniform probability measure Waves