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History and Philosophy of Physics papers — page 126

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In memoriam Yurii Fedorovich Smirnov: Some personal reminiscences on a great physicist
Yurii Fedorovich Smirnov (1935-2008) was a famous theoretical physicist. He achieved his career mainly at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of Moscow. These notes describe some particular facets of…
Maurice Robert KiblerJul 21, 2009
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On Kant's first insight into the problem of space dimensionality and its physical foundations
In this article it is shown that a careful analysis of Kant's "Thoughts on the True Estimation of Living Forces" leads to a conclusion that does not match the usually accepted interpretation of…
Francisco Caruso, Roberto Moreira XavierJul 21, 2009
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The History of the Guralnik, Hagen and Kibble development of the Theory of Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking and Gauge Particles
I discuss historical material about the beginning of the ideas of spontaneous symmetry breaking and particularly the role of the Guralnik, Hagen Kibble paper in this development. I do so adding a…
Gerald S. GuralnikJul 20, 2009
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Physics and Five Problems in the Philosophy of Mind
Since Descartes' dualism, with his res extensa and res cogitans, six fundamental problems in the philosophy and natural history of mind are these: 1. how does mind act on matter? 2. If mind does…
Stuart KauffmanJul 15, 2009
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Yuval Ne'eman and How He Influenced My Life and Career
An early phase of theoretical high energy physics in Israel specifically that connected with Yuval Ne'eman and a small group of my classmates, myself, and several others who worked around him…
Shmuel NussinovJul 14, 2009
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Homi Jehangir Bhabha : Architect of Modern Science and Technology in India
After describing Bhabha's early life at Bombay, now Mumbai, we discuss his research career at Cambridge, where he made many distinguished contributions to positron physics, cosmic rays and the meson…
Virendra SinghJun 18, 2009
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SWU for You and Me
The subject of uranium isotope separation by the use of gas cenrifuges is a very active one. I present the physics of this process and some of its history.
Jeremy BernsteinJun 13, 2009
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Astronomy and astronomers in Jules Verne's novels
Almost all the "Voyages Extraordinaires" written by Jules Verne refer to astronomy. In some of them, astronomy is even the leading theme. However, Jules Verne was basically not learned in…
Jacques CrovisierJun 5, 2009
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More is the Same; Phase Transitions and Mean Field Theories
This paper looks at the early theory of phase transitions. It considers a group of related concepts derived from condensed matter and statistical physics. The key technical ideas here go under the…
Leo P. KadanoffJun 3, 2009
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Had the planet mars not existed: Kepler's equant model and its physical consequences
We examine the equant model for the motion of planets, which has been the starting point of Kepler's investigations before he modified it because of Mars observations. We show that, up to first…
Christian Bracco, Jean-Pierre ProvostJun 2, 2009
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The Astronomy of Aboriginal Australia
The traditional cultures of Aboriginal Australians include a significant astronomical component, which is usually reported in terms of songs or stories associated with stars and constellations. Here…
Ray P. Norris, Duane W. HamacherMay 31, 2009
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Solar physics at the Kodaikanal Observatory: A Historical Perspective
This article traces the birth and growth of solar physics at the Kodaikanal Observatory of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, India. A major discovery took place here in 1909 by John…
S. S. Hasan, D. C. V. Mallik, S. P. Bagare et al.May 31, 2009
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The question "Are We Alone?" in different cultures
A survey of the worldwide litterature reveals that the question "Are We Alone in the Universe?" has been formulated only in the western litterature. Here I try to understand why it is so. To…
Jean SchneiderMay 26, 2009
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The Order of Sir Bondi
The direct and indirect relationship between the British physicist originally from Austria, Sir Hermann Bondi, and Venezuelan physics are presented. Special emphasis is made of his more remarkable…
W. BarretoMay 20, 2009
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Bhabha's Contributions to Elementary Particle Physics and Cosmic Rays Research
Bhabha's scientific research contributions are descibed in the context of his life and contemporary science. During the Cambridge period(1927-1939),he worked in Positron theory(Bhabha…
Virendra SinghMay 14, 2009
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Orientations of the Giant's Churches in Ostrobothnia, Finland
The orientations of 23 Giant's Churches, dating from 2500-2000 BCE, located in Ostrobothnia, Finland, have been measured. Many of them are found to have orientations to the risings and settings…
Marianna Ridderstad, Jari OkkonenMay 13, 2009
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Critical phenomena: 150 years since Cagniard de la Tour
Critical phenomena were discovered by Cagniard de la Tour in 1822, who died 150 years ago. In order to mark this anniversary, the context and the early history of his discovery is reviewed. We then…
Bertrand Berche, Malte Henkel, Ralph KennaMay 12, 2009
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On Facts in Superstring Theory. A Case Study: The AdS/CFT Correspondence
Despite the lack of experimental confirmation and of unambiguous theoretical proof, superstring theory has long been considered by many the only consistent quantized theory of gravity and the unique…
Oswaldo ZapataMay 9, 2009
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Indeterminism and Randomness Through Physics
Despite provable unknowables in recursion theory, indeterminism and randomness in physics is confined to conventions, subjective beliefs and preliminary evidence. The history of the issue is very…
Karl SvozilMay 6, 2009
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Misleading signposts along the de Broglie-Bohm road to quantum mechanics
Eighty years after de Broglie's, and a little more than half a century after Bohm's seminal papers, the de Broglie--Bohm theory (a.k.a. Bohmian mechanics), which is presumably the simplest…
Michael K. -H. KiesslingMay 5, 2009
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Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Theory and the Measurement Problem
The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory is investigated from a philosophical point of view. It is justified the opinion that the philosophical attitude the Copenhagen interpretation is based…
Martin KoberMay 4, 2009
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Atomism versus Holism in Science and Philosophy
The pros and cons of various forms of atomism and holism that are applicable both in physical science and today's philosophy of nature are evaluated. To this end, Lewis' thesis of Humean…
Vassilios KarakostasMay 1, 2009
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At the other end of the sun's path. A new interpretation of Machu Picchu
The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is usually interpreted as a "royal estate" of the Inca ruler Pachacuti. This idea is challenged here by a critical reappraisal of existing sources and a…
Giulio MagliApr 30, 2009
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Leon Rosenfeld and the challenge of the vanishing momentum in quantum electrodynamics
Leon Rosenfeld published in 1930 the first systematic Hamiltonian approach to Lagrangian models that possess a local gauge symmetry. The application of this formalism to theories with local internal…
Donald SalisburyApr 25, 2009
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Realism vs. Constructivism in Contemporary Physics: The Impact of the Debate on the Understanding of Quantum Theory and its Instructional Process
In the present study we attempt to incorporate the philosophical dialogue about physical reality into the instructional process of quantum mechanics. Taking into account that both scientific realism…
Vassilios Karakostas, Pandora HadzidakiApr 18, 2009
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