▽Supertasks ●12/16 04:43 This observable has the property that ￥(￥langle ￥psi, S￥phi￥rangle =1￥) if ￥(￥ket{￥psi}￥) and ￥(￥ket{￥phi}￥) both lie in the same superselection sector as the state in which all the fermions in the measurement device are ￥(z￥)-spin-up. It also has the property that ￥(￥langle￥psi,S￥phi￥rangle = -1￥) if they lie in the same superselection sector as the all-down state. But more interestingly,suppose
▽Realism ●12/14 20:30 First published Mon Jul 8, 2002; substantive revision Fri Dec 13, 2019 The question of the nature and plausibility of realism arises with respect to a large number of subject matters, including ethics,aesthetics, causation, modality, science, mathematics, semantics, and the everyday world of macroscopic material objects and their properties. Although it would be possible to accept (or reject)reali
▽Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics ●12/07 14:42 First published Fri May 3, 2002; substantive revision Fri Dec 6, 2019 In fact Bohr and Heisenberg never totally agreed on how to understand the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics, and neither of them ever used the term “the Copenhagen interpretation” as a joint name for their ideas. In fact, Bohr once distanced himself from what he considered to be Heisenberg’s more subj
▽Identity and Individuality in Quantum Theory ●10/31 04:18 First published Tue Feb 15, 2000; substantive revision Wed Oct 30, 2019 What are the metaphysical implications of quantum physics? One way of approaching this question is to consider the impact of the theory on our understanding of objects as individuals with well defined identity conditions. According to the ‘Received View’, which was elaborated as the quantum revolution was taking pl
▽Experiment in Physics ●10/16 23:49 First published Mon Oct 5, 1998; substantive revision Wed Oct 16, 2019 1.1 Epistemology of Experiment 1.2 The Case For Learning From Experiment 1.2.1 Ian Hacking’s Case 1.2.2 Experimental Strategies 1.2.3 Galison’s Elaboration 1.3 The Case Against Learning From Experiment 1.3.1 Collins and the Experimenters’ Regress 1.3.2 Pickering on Communal Opportunism and Plastic Resources 1.3.3 Cr
