35
votes
We know Classical Mechanics is wrong. But can we also say every other theory is wrong except the Theory of Everything?
Asimov's "The Relativity of Wrong" has a lot to say about this.
John, when people thought the Earth was flat, they were wrong. When people thought the Earth was spherical, they were wrong. ...
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33
votes
We know Classical Mechanics is wrong. But can we also say every other theory is wrong except the Theory of Everything?
It is not a coincidence that you ask this here at philosophy SE, and not over at physics: The vast majority of physicists would simply reject your question and readily admit that their theories are ...
- 1,594
22
votes
Why is the complex number an integral part of physical reality?
The short answer: Your premise is not correct. Quantum Mechanics is not necessarily complex-valued. Here is a primer from Physics.SE if you are solid on the math.
An explanation that is light on math:...
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19
votes
Accepted
What are some arguments against the brain-in-a-vat thought experiment?
Your question is about metaphysical realism and skepticism. There are indeed radical sceptic arguments against realism such as Descartes's demon, brain in a vat or the idea that one is actually ...
- 5,830
18
votes
The problem of Motion
I recommend to start with the arrow paradox by the Greek philosopher Zeno, see
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/paradox-zeno/#ParMot
Afterwards you could study how calculus formalizes the limit ...
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14
votes
Is much of theoretical physics nothing more than speculative assumptions?
Unlike pseudoscience, both types of speculation in physics begin with evidence, remain constrained by evidence, and have falsifiable empirical predictions as the end goal.
Which mathematical formalism ...
- 3,525
13
votes
Accepted
How meaningful is the notion of now here on Earth?
Special relativity has no bearing whatsoever on your day to day activities. If you are moving relative to someone else, then yes in theory you will be time dilated in their frame of reference and they ...
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9
votes
Accepted
Philosophical implications of entangled states (and the 2022 physics nobel prize)
In the high-level summary and explanation I've read/watched… this means or confirms that everything… is probabilistic.
This is wrong. Bell's Theorem and the experiments that won this years Nobel ...
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8
votes
Do naturalists think that only microscopic physical things exist?
The view OP is alluding to is called mereological nihilism (mereology is a branch of metaphysics that studies relations between parts and wholes). It is the view that only "simples" (...
- 42.5k
8
votes
What is meant by a more "general" theory?
In physics theory B is more general than theory A, if B explains all results which A explains and some additional results.
According to this definition Special Relativity is more general than Newton’s ...
- 24.3k
7
votes
What philosophical problem did Newton solve?
The problems of motion and gravity were philosophical problems before the scientific revolution. People followed Aristotle's teachings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotelian_physics
Look at how ...
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7
votes
What are some arguments against the brain-in-a-vat thought experiment?
In my opinion, the best response to ontological uncertainty is to strive to live in a way that is meaningful regardless of the true nature of reality. While it may seem implausible, it may be less so ...
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7
votes
Accepted
Is the delayed choice quantum eraser a refutation of principle of causality? How does contemporary philosophy make sense of it?
One of the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics is the principle of superposition. Its most simple application reads: If two paths exist to move from state A to state B, then the transition ...
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7
votes
Accepted
What philosophical problem did Newton solve?
A science is a well-defined systematic way of organizing and extending a body of knowledge. What makes it a science is its reliability, not its subject.
Philosophy explores subjects that are outside ...
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7
votes
Accepted
Euler's 1746 philosophy paper
1st premise : No body can have a force contrary to inertia.
Based on [Engl.transl.,page 2] analysis of "current" (still quite incomplete) understanding of matter and bodies and of knowledge of only a ...
- 36.1k
7
votes
Why is the complex number an integral part of physical reality?
In my opinion you are mixing up different points:
Physics does not use complex numbers to count entities. It is sufficient to count mangos by non-negative rational numbers, i.e. 1 mango, 1.5 mangos, ...
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7
votes
Is all change movement?
Annihilation and creation of particle-antiparticle pair is also an example of change without movement.
Wavefunction collapse and entanglement are also changes without movement if you do not consider ...
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6
votes
Shouldn't Last Thurdayism be able to be proved wrong by Physics?
I think you're misunderstanding the idea behind "Last Thursdayism" on two fronts.
First, as can be seen from the selection of "Thursday", the main point of the posit is to point out a problem in ...
- 24.6k
6
votes
Why is the complex number an integral part of physical reality?
Complex numbers are ordered pairs of numbers that have an extended definition of multiplication that is useful for representing circular motion in two-dimensions. (The definition of multiplication ...
- 1,856
6
votes
"v = 1 m/s": predicate or relation? Any literature?
The statement "The ball is red" can be rewritten with subject-predicate form: "Red(ball)" where "Red( )" is a predicate (a property predicated of something) and "ball" is the subject (an object of ...
- 36.1k
6
votes
Accepted
What's the "opposite" of emergence?
Emergence isn't necessarily about smaller to bigger, although it is a property of groups or interactions. It is something that happens in intermediate states between absolutely chaotic behaviour and ...
- 20.5k
6
votes
To what extent is mathematics a tool to grasp the world beyond human intuition?
this is a complex topic, but I want to present a counterexample to one of Nikos M.'s points.
When Maxwell formulated his four equations of unified electromagnetism, he noticed afterwards that they ...
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6
votes
The problem of Motion
To enlarge upon Jo Wehler's answer, Zeno's Paradox was only a paradox for philosophers, not for Zeno's neighbors who sailed boats, walked down roads, built buildings, plowed the earth or carried rocks ...
- 7,772
6
votes
Is all change movement?
If you believe so, you are making the claim in the same spirit Hobbes did. Hobbes said:
"all change is motion"
The argument goes like this:
All time is defined in term of motion. A day is ...
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5
votes
Is the delayed choice quantum eraser a refutation of principle of causality? How does contemporary philosophy make sense of it?
Delayed choices undermines past to future causality only if one assumes that the initial state of a system must directly determine measurement results, and that wave functions represent our ignorance ...
- 5,830
5
votes
Why do philosophical discussions of the teleportation paradox seem to ignore the physics involved?
Discussions of philosophical issues can often benefit from taking into account what we know about physics. In this case this may not be as pronounced because the teleportation paradox is more about ...
- 42.5k
5
votes
Accepted
Shouldn't Last Thurdayism be able to be proved wrong by Physics?
As virmalor pointed out, last Thursdayism is not that literal. It is the assertion that the universe came into existence in a preconfigured state, at some point in time, as opposed to developing from ...
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5
votes
Why is the complex number an integral part of physical reality?
Are we answering the right question?
You touch upon an interesting point, but I have the feeling that your question isn't specific enough yet to reach a proper resolutions. Others have argued that '...
- 307
5
votes
Why is the complex number an integral part of physical reality?
You have several fundamental misunderstandings.
Physics does not define reality. Physics defines a model that approximates reality in a testable fashion. Reality can—and, going by experience,...
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