▽Quantum Theory: von Neumann vs. Dirac
●10/16 14:58
An ongoing debate in the foundations of quantum physics concerns the role of mathematical rigor. The contrasting views of von Neumann and Dirac provide interesting and informative insights concerning two sides of this debate. Von Neumann’s contributions often emphasize mathematical rigor and Dirac’s contributions emphasize pragmatic concerns. The discussion below begins with an assessm

▽Descartes’ Physics
●10/16 03:42
First published Fri Jul 29, 2005; substantive revision Fri Oct 15, 2021
While René Descartes (1596–1650) is well-known as one of the founders of modern philosophy, his influential role in the development of modern physics has been, until the later half of the twentieth century, generally under-appreciated and under-investigated by both historians and philosophers of science. Not only

▽Modal Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics
●10/09 10:15
First published Tue Nov 12, 2002; substantive revision Fri Oct 8, 2021
The original “modal interpretation” of non-relativistic quantum theory was born in the early 1970s, and at that time the phrase referred to a single interpretation. The phrase now encompasses a class of interpretations, and is best taken to refer to a general approach to the interpretation of quantum theory. We shal

▽Being and Becoming in Modern Physics
●10/09 05:08
3.3 Localizing Time
It is a fact

▽Karl Popper
●09/16 05:52
First published Thu Nov 13, 1997; substantive revision Wed Sep 15, 2021
Popper was also profoundly impressed by the differences between the allegedly “scientific” theories of Freud and Adler and the revolution effected by Einstein’s theory of Relativity in physics in the first two decades of the twentieth century. The main difference between them, as Popper saw it, was that while