Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Philosophy of
physics is concerned with the deepest theories of modern physics -
notably quantum theory, our theories of space, time and symmetry,
and thermal physics - and their strange, even bizarre conceptual
implications. A deeper understanding of these theories helps both
physics, through pointing the way to new theories and new
applications, and philosophy, through seeing how our worldview has
to change in the light of what we learn from physics. This Very
Short Introduction explores the core topics in philosophy of
physics through three key themes. The first - the nature of space,
time, and motion - begins by considering the philosophical puzzles
that led Isaac Newton to propose the existence of absolute space,
and then discusses how those puzzles change - but do not disappear
- in the context of the revolutions in our understanding of space
and time that came first from special, and then from general,
relativity. The second - the emergence of irreversible behavior in
statistical mechanics - considers how the microscopic laws of
physics, which know of no distinction between past and future, can
be compatible with the melting of ice, the cooling of coffee, the
passing of youth, and all the other ways in which the large-scale
world distinguishes past from future. The last section discusses
quantum theory - the foundation of most of modern physics, yet
mysterious to this day. It explains just why quantum theory is so
difficult to make sense of, how we might nonetheless attempt to do
it, and why the question has been highly relevant to the
development of physics, and continues to be so. ABOUT THE SERIES:
The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press
contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These
pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new
subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis,
perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and
challenging topics highly readable.
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