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History and Philosophy of Physics papers — page 90

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The Problem of Confirmation in the Everett Interpretation
I argue that the Oxford school Everett interpretation is internally incoherent, because we cannot claim that in an Everettian universe the kinds of reasoning we have used to arrive at our beliefs…
Emily AdlamApr 4, 2015
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Gone but not forgotten
In this reminiscence I discuss the influence of Henry Eyring and John Barker upon my life and work. Others, especially my family, have been of even greater personal influence. However, these two…
D. HendersonApr 3, 2015
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Evry Leon Schatzman
This article describes the life and work of French astrophysicist Evry Schatzman (1920-2010). He was a pioneer in the study of white dwarfs during the 1940s and was one of the proponents of the wave…
Jean-Pierre LuminetMar 28, 2015
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Willem Janszoon Blaeu
This article describes the life and work of Willem Janszoon Blaeu (1571-1638), who founded one of history's greatest cartographic publishing firms in 1599. Mostly renowned as a cartographer, he…
Jean-Pierre LuminetMar 28, 2015
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Lemaitre's Big Bang
I give an epistemological analysis of the developments of relativistic cosmology from 1917 to 1966, based on the seminal articles by Einstein, de Sitter, Friedmann, Lemaitre, Hubble, Gamow and other…
Jean-Pierre LuminetMar 28, 2015
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The collaboration of Mileva Maric and Albert Einstein
This is a contemporary review of the involvement of Mileva Maric, Albert Einsteins first wife, in his theoretical work between the period of 1900 to 1905. Separate biographies are outlined for both…
Estelle AsmodelleMar 27, 2015
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Einstein's cosmology review of 1933: a new perspective on the Einstein-de Sitter model of the cosmos
We present a first English translation and analysis of a little-known review of relativistic cosmology written by Albert Einstein in late 1932. The article, which was published in 1933 in a book of…
Cormac O'Raifeartaigh, Michael O'Keeffe, Werner Nahm et al.Mar 27, 2015
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Supersymmetry - Roots That Didn't Grow
This article is about early roots of supersymmetry, as found in the literature from 1940s and early 1950s. There were models where the power of "partners" in alleviating divergences in…
Cecilia JarlskogMar 26, 2015
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Generalized Quantum Theory, Contextual Emergence and Non-Hierarchic Alternatives
The concept of emergence is critically analyzed in particular with respect to the assumed emergence of mental properties from a neuronal basis. We argue that so-called contextual emergence is needed…
Hartmann RömerMar 23, 2015
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The Reception of Newton's Principia
Newton's Principia, when it appeared in 1687, was received with the greatest admiration, not only by the foremost mathematicians and astronomers in Europe, but also by philosophers like Voltaire…
Michael NauenbergMar 23, 2015
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The concept of free will as an infinite metatheoretic recursion
It is argued that the concept of free will, like the concept of truth in formal languages, requires a separation between an object level and a meta-level for being consistently defined. The Jamesian…
Hanaan Hashim, R. SrikanthMar 22, 2015
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Revisiting the Majorana Relativistic Theory of Particles with Arbitrary Spin
In 1932 Ettore Majorana published an article proving that relativity allows any value for the spin of a quantum particle and that there is no privilege for the half integer spin. The Majorana idea…
Luca NanniMar 22, 2015
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Interaction of neutrons with alpha particles: A tribute to Heinz Barschall
As a tribute to our teacher and mentor on the occasion of his centennial celebration, we provide a brief historical overview and a summary of sustained interest in the topic of interaction of…
B. HoopMar 16, 2015
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Die Physikalische Sammlung (Physical Collection)
At the end of the 17th century, the collection was established through the acquisition of Leiden instrumentmaker Musschenbroek's collection. Its aim was to demonstrate physical phenomena. Until…
Andreas SchrimpfMar 13, 2015
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Die Gerling Sternwarte (Gerling Astronomical Observatory)
Christian Ludwig Gerling's 1817 appointment as Professor for Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy resulted in the foundation of the Mathematical and Physical Institute of the Philipps University.…
Andreas SchrimpfMar 13, 2015
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On the Existence of Spacetime Structure
I examine the debate between substantivalists and relationalists about the ontological character of spacetime and conclude it is not well posed. I argue that the so-called Hole Argument does not bear…
E. CurielMar 11, 2015
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A Matter of Principle: The Principles of Quantum Theory, Dirac's Equation, and Quantum Information
This article is concerned with the role of fundamental principles in theoretical physics, especially quantum theory. The fundamental principles of relativity will be be addressed as well in view of…
Arkady PlotnitskyMar 8, 2015
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The de Broglie Wave as Evidence of a Deeper Wave Structure
It is argued that the de Broglie wave is not the wave usually supposed, but the relativistically induced modulation of an underlying carrier wave that moves with the velocity of the particle. In the…
Daniel ShanahanMar 6, 2015
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The Atomic Hypothesis
A review is presented of the origin and development of the atomic hypothesis from antiquity till about the first millennium of the common era.
S. K. BoseMar 5, 2015
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Finding meteorite impacts in Aboriginal oral tradition
Aboriginal stories dating back many thousands of years talk of a fire from the sky in an area now home to the Henbury meteorite craters, in the Northern Territory
Duane W. HamacherMar 5, 2015
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Genealogical tree of Russian schools on Nonlinear Dynamics
One of the most prominent feature of research in Russia and the former Soviet Union is so-called scientific schools. It is a collaboration of researchers with a common scientific background working,…
S. V. Prants, M. Yu. UleyskyMar 3, 2015
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Symmetry: a bridge between nature and culture
Are symmetries discovered or rather invented by humans ? The stand you may take firmly here reveals a lot of your epistemological position. Conversely, the arguments you may forge for answering to…
Amaury MouchetFeb 28, 2015
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Investigations of the coordinates in Ptolemy's Geographike Hyphegesis Book 8
In Book 8 of his Geographike Hyphegesis Ptolemy gives coordinates for ca. 360 so-called noteworthy cities. These coordinates are the time difference to Alexandria, the length of the longest day, and…
Christian MarxFeb 28, 2015
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The sunspot observations by Rheita in 1642
The correct interpretation of a fragment of Rheita about a sunspot observation in 1642 has crucial importance in estimating the amplitude of the solar cycle just before the Maunder Minimum. We show…
Juan Manuel Gómez, José Manuel VaqueroFeb 24, 2015
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Symmetries, Symmetry Breaking, Gauge Symmetries
The concepts of symmetry, symmetry breaking and gauge symmetries are discussed, their operational meaning being displayed by the observables and the (physical) states. For infinitely extended…
Franco StrocchiFeb 23, 2015
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