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History and Philosophy of Physics papers — page 141

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From the epicycles of the Greeks to Kepler's ellipse - The breakdown of the circle paradigm
The principle that celestial bodies must move on circular orbits or on paths resulting from the composition of circular orbits has been assumed as a constant guide in the astronomical thougth of the…
Dino BoccalettiJul 16, 2001
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The Feynman Path Goes Monte Carlo
Path integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) simulations have become an important tool for the investigation of the statistical mechanics of quantum systems. I discuss some of the history of applying the Monte…
Tilman SauerJul 5, 2001
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The invention of the quantum energy concept according to Planck
A hundred years ago, the quantum concept provoked a revolution in science and the search of a new conceptual basis for whole physics, as emphasized by Einstein. In this paper, I discuss the essential…
Nelson StudartJun 12, 2001
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Beyond the Physics of Logic: Aspects of Transcendental Materialism or URAM in a Modern View
It has been shown at other occasions that recent results of modern physics can be used to shed some more light onto the foundations of the world, provided the actual task of philosophy is being…
Rainer E. ZimmermannMay 28, 2001
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The Depth and Breadth of John Bell's Physics
John Bell's investigations in foundations of quantum mechanics, particle physics, and quantum field theory are recalled.
R. Jackiw, A. ShimonyMay 16, 2001
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Do the Laws of Nature and Physics Agree About What is Allowed and Forbidden?
There are countless examples in the history of science that not only were the laws of physics often incomplete and more limited in their domain of validity than was realized, but at times they missed…
Mario RabinowitzMar 31, 2001
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Neutrinos
The general status of neutrino physics are given. The history of the neutrino, starting from Pauli and Fermi, is presented. The phenomenological V-A theory of the weak interaction and the unified…
S. M. BilenkyMar 28, 2001
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Independence of events and quantum structure of the light in Einstein's special relativity
In the history of physics 1905 can be considered as the year of Einstein's proclamation of independence of events. Indeed the concept of independent events occupies a essential place in the three…
Y. G. A. PierseauxFeb 3, 2001
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The Speed of Light and Puranic Cosmology
We survey early Indian ideas on the speed of light and the size of the universe. A context is provided for Sayana's statement (14th century)that the speed is 2,202 yojanas per half nimesha…
Subhash KakJan 15, 2001
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Birth and Early Development of Indian Astronomy
This paper provides an overview of the birth and early development of Indian astronomy. Taking account of significant new findings from archaeology and literary analysis, it is shown that early…
Subhash KakJan 15, 2001
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Reductionism, Emergence, and Effective Field Theories
In recent years, a change in attitude in particle physics has led to our understanding current quantum field theories as effective field theories (EFTs). The present paper is concerned with the…
Elena CastellaniJan 6, 2001
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Yajnavalkya and the Origins of Puranic Cosmology
This paper shows that characteristic features of Puranic cosmology, such as alternating cosmic continents and oceans of successively doubling areas, can be traced to Vedic texts. The Rigveda speaks…
Subhash KakJan 1, 2001
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A Natural Concept of Image in the Physics of fr. Alonso de la Veracruz
Alonso de la Veracruz conducted a physical study of image, regarding the activities of Soul in which image is produced, as organic operations. This research was particularly important since, at that…
Armando BarrañónJan 1, 2001
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A Historical Perspective on the Topology and Physics of Hyperspace
This paper examines the history of the development of dimensional analysis, from Euclidean geometry to hyperspace. This is largely a secondary source work intended to summarize, as briefly as…
Ian T. DurhamNov 18, 2000
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On Wolfgang Pauli's most important contributions to physics
After some brief biographical notes, Wolfgang Pauli's main contributions to general relativity, quantum theory, quantum field theory, and elementary particle physics are reviewed. A detailed…
Norbert StraumannOct 2, 2000
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The birth of special relativity. "One more essay on the subject"
Special relativity was discovered at the eve of the century, but finds its roots in the 19th century efforts to understand the optics and electromagnetism of moving bodies. These roots are reviewed…
J. ReignierAug 28, 2000
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The interpretations by experimenters of experiments on 'time dilation': 1940-1970 circa
Experimental tests on `time dilation' began in 1938 with Ives and Stilwell's work of the transverse Doppler effect due to atoms in inertial flight. Rossi and Hall (1941) inaugurated the era…
Ilaria Bonizzoni, Giuseppe GiulianiAug 4, 2000
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A Review Essay: "Lise Meitner and the Dawn of the Nuclear Age", by Patricia Rife
The recently published book, ``Lise Meitner and the Dawn of the Nuclear Age'', by Patricia Rife (Boston: Birkhäuser, 1999) is reviewed in an essay for the lay audience. Meitner was a leading…
Gary R. GoldsteinJul 5, 2000
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Rhythmos, Diathige, Trope
It is argued that properties of Democritus' atoms parallel those of volume forms in differential geometry. This kind of atoms has not "size" of finite magnitude. ----- Se arguye que las…
Alejandro RiveroJun 26, 2000
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Fiber Bundle Gauge Theories and "Field's Dilemma"
We propose a distinction between the physical and the mathematical parts of gauge field theories. The main problem we face is to uphold a strong and meaningful criterion of what is physical. We like…
Yair Guttmann, Holger LyreMay 19, 2000
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The singular points of Einstein's Universe
Short note by Marcel Brillouin on the representation of the mass point in general relativity.
M. BrillouinFeb 3, 2000
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Innovators and Interpreters: The Historic Role of Women in Science
Until this century, the number of working female scientists has been indeterminate. Prevailing wisdom indicates that women, historically, have not excelled in the mathematics and sciences, for…
Gina HamiltonJan 12, 2000
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On the gravitational field of a sphere of incompressible fluid according to Einstein's theory
Communication by K. Schwarzschild to the Prussian Academy of Sciences, dealing with the gravitational field of a sphere of incompressible fluid.
K. SchwarzschildDec 16, 1999
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The factorization of the hypergeometric equation
Schroedinger's famous quadruple of factorizations of the hypergeometric equation is archived here
Erwin SchroedingerOct 2, 1999
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On some functional transformations relative to linear PDEs of second order
Seminal result of Delsarte is archived here
Jean DelsarteSep 29, 1999
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