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History and Philosophy of Physics papers — page 94

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The early historical roots of Lee-Yang theorem
A deep and detailed historiographical analysis of a particular case study concerning the so-called Lee-Yang theorem of theoretical statistical mechanics of phase transitions, has emphasized what real…
Giuseppe IuratoOct 21, 2014
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On the fields due to line segments
The remarkable geometries of ellipsoidal equipotentials and their associated gradient fields, as produced by uniformly charged straight-line segments, are discussed at an elementary level, motivated…
T. S. Van KortrykOct 21, 2014
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A Brief History for the Search and Discovery of the Higgs Particle: A Personal Perspective
In 1964, a new particle was proposed by several groups to answer the question of where the masses of elementary particles come from; this particle is usually referred to as the Higgs particle or the…
Sau Lan WuOct 19, 2014
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Sufficient reason and reason enough
I offer an analysis of the Principle of Sufficient Reason and its relevancy for the scientific endeavour. I submit that the world is not, and cannot be, rational - only some brained beings are. The…
Gustavo E. RomeroOct 15, 2014
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Interferometry meets the third and fourth dimensions in galaxies
Radio astronomy began with one array (Jansky's) and one paraboloid of revolution (Reber's) as collecting areas and has now reached the point where a large number of facilities are arrays of…
Virginia TrimbleOct 13, 2014
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Historical Aspects of Post-1850 Cosmology
Cosmology as an exact physical science is of new date, but it has long roots in the past. This essay is concerned with four important themes in the history of cosmological thought which, if taken…
Helge KraghOct 10, 2014
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On the discovery of the classical equations for spin motion in electromagnetic field
The letter addresses misattribution of the discovery of the classical equation for spin motion in electromagnetic field, known as the BMT equation, named after Bargmann, Michel, and Telegdi. I argue…
V. HushwaterOct 9, 2014
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Beyond the Stalemate: Conscious MInd-Body - Quantum Mechanics - Free Will - Possible Panpsychism - Possible Interpretation of Quantum Enigma
I wish to discuss a large, interwoven set of topics pointed at in the title above. Much of what I say is highly speculative, some is testable, some is, at present, surely not. It is, I hope, useful,…
Stuart KauffmanOct 7, 2014
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ERBU, Expanding Rubber Band Universe
I put forward a simple unidimensional mechanical analogue of the three-dimensional universe models of modern relativistic cosmology. The main goal of the proposal is the appropriate appreciation of…
Domingos SoaresOct 6, 2014
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A thought to illustrate the uncertainty principle on the base of Otto-Wiener's experiment
In this short paper a new thought experiment has been introduced to illustrate the famous Heisenberg's uncertainty principle based on Otto-Wiener's experiment (1890) associated with standing…
Tapas DasOct 6, 2014
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General Covariance, Diffeomorphism Invariance, and Background Independence in 5 Dimensions
The paper considers the "GR-desideratum", that is, the way general relativity implements general covariance, diffeomorphism invariance, and background independence. Two cases are discussed…
Antonio VassalloOct 4, 2014
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Ancient astronomical instrument from Srubna burial of kurgan field Tavriya-1 (Northern Black Sea Coast)
The article presents the results of analysis of the spatial arrangement of the wells on the unique slab from Srubna burial of kurgan field Tavriya-1 (Rostov region, Russia) by astronomical methods.…
Larisa Vodolazhskaya, Pavel Larenok, Mikhail NevskiyOct 2, 2014
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Appearing Out of Nowhere: The Emergence of Spacetime in Quantum Gravity
Quantum gravity is understood as a theory that, in some sense, unifies general relativity (GR) and quantum theory, and is supposed to replace GR at extremely small distances (high-energies). It may…
Karen CrowtherOct 1, 2014
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The 1919 measurement of the deflection of light
The measurement of the deflection of starlight during a total solar eclipse on May 29, 1919 was the first verification of general relativity by an external team of scientists, brought Einstein and…
Clifford M. WillSep 27, 2014
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The Mathematics and Physics of Diderot. I. On Pendulums and Air Resistance
In this article Denis Diderot's Fifth Memoir of 1748 on the problem of a pendulum damped by air resistance is discussed. Diderot wrote the Memoir in order to clarify an assumption Newton made…
Silvio R. DahmenSep 26, 2014
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Fifth Memoir or Letter on the Resistance of Air to the Movement of Pendulums
Translation of Denis Diderot's `Cinquième Mémoire ou Lettre sur la Résitance de L'Air ou Mouvement des Pendules.'
Denis DiderotSep 26, 2014
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Astronomical orientation analysis of three proto-historical sites in Friuli - Italy
In this paper we present the results of an archaeoastronomical survey of three proto-historical sites located in the high Friulian plain (Galleriano, Gradisca and Savalons), dating from the end of…
Ferdinando Patat, Susi CorazzaSep 24, 2014
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A quantum of history
With reference to primary sources it is shown that key claims made regarding the history of the pilot wave theory in Quantum Theory at the Crossroads are not supported by the historical record. It is…
Peter HollandSep 21, 2014
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Minkowski Spacetime and QED from Ontology of Time
Classical mechanics, relativity, electrodynamics and quantum mechanics are often depicted as separate realms of physics, each with its own formalism and notion. This remains unsatisfactory with…
C. BaumgartenSep 16, 2014
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The dawning of the theory of equilibrium figures: a brief historical account from the 17th through the 20th century
A brief but complete historical survey of the theory of equilibrium figures from its early origins, dating back to 17th-century, until the latest 20th-century developments, with a view towards its…
Giuseppe IuratoSep 12, 2014
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Philosophical Issues of Black Holes
Black holes are extremely relativistic objects. Physical processes around them occur in a regime where the gravitational field is extremely intense. Under such conditions, our representations of…
Gustavo E. RomeroSep 11, 2014
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Threats from space: 20 years of progress
It has been 20 years since planning began for the 1995 United Nations International Conference on Near-Earth Objects. The conference proceedings established the scientific basis for an international…
J. L. Remo, H. J. HauboldSep 6, 2014
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On gravitational interactions between two bodies
Many physicists, following Einstein, believe that the ultimate aim of theoretical physics is to find a unified theory of all interactions which would not depend on any free dimensionless constant,…
Sebastian J. SzybkaSep 3, 2014
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Comet and Meteorite Traditions of Aboriginal Australians
Of the hundreds of distinct Aboriginal cultures of Australia, many have oral traditions rich in descriptions and explanations of comets, meteors, meteorites, airbursts, impact events, and impact…
Duane W. HamacherSep 3, 2014
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Against Dogma: On Superluminal Propagation in Classical Electromagnetism
It is deeply entrenched dogma that relativity theory prohibits superluminal propagation. It is also experimentally well-established that under some circumstances, classical electromagnetic fields…
James Owen WeatherallSep 1, 2014
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