Introduction

Author(s):  
Jed Z. Buchwald ◽  
Robert Fox

This Handbook looks at the history of physics since the seventeenth century. It is comprised of four sections, the first of which discusses the place of reason, mathematics, and experiment in the age of the scientific revolution. The first section also covers the contributions of Galileo, René Descartes, and Isaac Newton. The second section deals with the ‘long’ eighteenth century — a period that is often regarded as synonymous with the ‘age of Newton’. The third section encompasses the subcategories of heat, light, electricity, sound, and magnetism, while the fourth and final section takes us into the age of ‘modern physics’, highlighted by landmark achievements such as the discovery of the photoelectric effect in 1887, Max Planck’s work on the quanta of radiation, Albert Einstein’s special theory of relativity of 1905, and the elaboration of the various aspects of what became known as quantum physics between 1900 and 1930.

This Handbook traces the history of physics, bringing together chapters on major advances in the field from the seventeenth century to the present day. It is organized into four sections, following a broadly chronological structure. Part I explores the place of reason, mathematics, and experiment in the age of what we know as the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century. The contributions of Galileo, René Descartes, and Isaac Newton are central to this section, as is the multiplicity of paths to the common goal of understanding. Some of these paths reflected the turn to Thomas Kuhn’s category of ‘Baconian’ sciences — newer, more empirical investigations focused on heat, electricity, magnetism, optics, and chemistry. Part II looks at the ‘long’ eighteenth century — a period that covers developments relating to the physics of imponderable fluids, mechanics, electricity, and magnetism. Part III is broadly concerned with the nineteenth century and covers topics ranging from optics and thermal physics to thermodynamics, electromagnetism and field physics, electrodynamics, the evolution of the instrument-making industry between 1850 and 1930, and the applications of physics in medicine and metrology. Part IV takes us into the age of ‘modern physics’ and considers canonical landmarks such as the discovery of the photoelectric effect in 1887, Max Planck’s work on the quanta of radiation, Albert Einstein’s special theory of relativity of 1905, and the elaboration of the various facets of quantum physics between 1900 and 1930.


1992 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuang Liu

Over forty years after the foundations of the special theory of relativity had been securely laid, a heated debate, beginning in 1965, about the correct formulation of relativistic thermodynamics raged in the physics literature. Prior to 1965, relativistic thermodynamics was considered one of the most secure relativistic theories and one of the most simple and elegant examples of relativization in physics. It is, as its name apparently suggests, the result of the application of the special theory of relativity to thermodynamics. The basic assumption is that the first and second laws of thermodynamics are Lorentz-invariant, and, as a result, a set of Lorentz transformations is derived from thermodynamic magnitudes, such as heat and temperature.


Author(s):  
Sampsa Korpela

In this article, the God’s relationship to time is viewed from the perspective of modern physics. The purpose is to examine new perspectives by introducing a theory of time that has been unexplored in contemporary theology. The paper begins with an analysis of the two competing views of God’s relationship to time: timelessness and temporality. They are reviewed from the perspective of the special theory of relativity. In contemporary theology, God’s timelessness is usually combined with the block universe theory, which is based on the concept of unchanging spacetime. God’s temporality is usually associated with presentism, which denies the concept of spacetime. This division reflects a central conflict in physics: the mainstream interpretation of the special theory of relativity treats time as unchanging spacetime, while quantum physics treats time as dynamic and flowing. To resolve this conflict between the ontologies of the special theory of relativity and quantum physics, the implicate order theory is introduced. The implicate order theory was developed by David Bohm (1917–1992), one of the most visionary physicists of the 20th century. After introducing the theory, it is applied to the context of God’s relationship to time. This produces interesting new opportunities for theological research.   


Author(s):  
Jun-Young Oh

The aims of this research are, (ⅰ) to consider Kuhn’s concept of how scientific revolution takes place based on individual elements or tenets of Nature of Science (NOS), and (ⅱ) to explore the inter-relationships within the individual elements or tenets of nature of science (NOS), based on the dimensions of scientific knowledge in science learning, this study suggests that instruction according to our Explicit Integrated NOS Map should include the tenets of NOS. The aspects of NOS that have been emphasized in recent science education reform documents disagree with the received views of common science. Additionally, it is valuable to introduce students at the primary level to some of the ideas developed by Kuhn. Key aspects of NOS are, in fact, good applications to the history of science through Kuhn’s philosophy. And it shows that these perspectives of the history of science are well applied to Einstein’s special theory of relativity. Therefore, an Explicit Integrated NOS Flow Map could be a promising means of understanding the NOS tenets and an explicit and reflective tool for science teachers to enhance scientific teaching and learning.


Author(s):  
F. Hasselbach ◽  
M. Nicklaus

After the first matter wave version of Sagnac’s classical light optical experiment of 1913, performed by Mercereau and Zimmermann with electron Cooper pairs in 1965, and the Sagnac experiment realized with neutrons by Werner et al. in 1979 , we report here on the first observation of the rotational phase shift of electron waves in vacuum.Theory. The Sagnac effect links classical physics, quantum physics and relativity. Using the special theory of relativity it can be derived that coherent waves, e.g. of light, neutrons or electrons, travelling around a finite area A experience a relative phaseshift


Author(s):  
Konstantin A. Barsht ◽  

The article analyzes the life path and tragic death of the philosopher Grigory Borisovich Itelson (1852–1926) emigrated from Russia. According to the as­sumption put forward in the article, he became the prototype of Albert Lichten­berg, the hero in the story of Andrey Platonov Garbage Wind (1933), which de­scribes the fate of a lonely German scientist, “the physicist of outer space”, who was killed by the Nazis for protesting against fascism. The article analyzes a number of coincidences between the fate of G.B. Itelson and the philosopher Lichtenberg described in the story Garbage Wind, in particular, the way of life and the circumstances of death. The author of the article finds in the text of Platonov’s story some allusions to G.B. Itelson – features of the worldview, pub­lication by the hero of the story of the book The Universe as a desolate space, burned in the square by the fascists, which is seen as a hint of the book by Felix Eberti Stars and World History. Thoughts about space, published by G.B. Itelson in 1923. The author analyzes the reason for Platonov’s appeal to the personality of Itelson, who was a personal friend of A. Einstein and the main translator of his books into Russian. Through these publications in the 1920s, A. Platonov got acquainted with the General and Special Theory of Relativity, which had a strong influence on the writer’s worldview and largely shaped the poetics of his works. The article argues for the possibility of Platonov’s acquaintance with the obitu­ary of G.B. Itelson, written by A.A. Goldenweiser and published in the Berlin Russian newspaper Ruhl, which describes in detail the life and tragic death of the philosopher at the hands of the Nazis


Author(s):  
Matt Waldschlagel

This paper examines an important episode in the history of early modern physics – the Leibniz-Clarke correspondence of 1715-16, an exchange that occurred at the intersection of physics, metaphysics and theology – before turning to questions of interpretation in the historiography of physics.  Samuel Clarke, a disciple of Isaac Newton, engaged in a dispute over Newton’s commitment to absolute space and absolute time with Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who criticized Newton’s views and advanced a rival account.  I clarify the positions at stake in the Leibniz-Clarke correspondence, define a variety of terms – absolute space, absolute time, substantivalism, and relationalism – endogenous to the exchange, and reconstruct key elements in the philosophical dimension of the dispute.  I then use the Leibniz-Clarke exchange as a springboard from which to examine interpretive considerations in the historiography of physics.  I argue that the history of physics can benefit from reassessing its historiographical commitments by borrowing or appropriating some of the intellectual resources used by philosophers working in the history of philosophy.  This historiographical reassessment, I contend, will not only shed new light on the Leibniz-Clarke exchange but may also reinvigorate the history of physics.


Studia Humana ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-15
Author(s):  
Ivan A. Karpenko

Abstract The article deals with the problem of time in the context of several theories of modem physics. This fundamental concept inevitably arises in physical theories, but so far there is no adequate description of it in the philosophy of science. In the theory of relativity, quantum field theory. Standard Model of particle physics, theory of loop quantum gravity, superstring theory and other most recent theories the idea of time is shown explicitly or not. Sometimes, such as in the special theory of relativity, it plays a significant role and sometimes it does not. But anyway it exists and is implied by the content of the theory, which in some cases directly includes its mathematical tools. Fundamental difference of space-time processes in microcosm and macrocosm is of particular importance for solving the problem. In this regard, a need to understand the time in the way it appears in modem physics, to describe it in the language of philosophy arises (satisfactory for time description mathematical tools also do not exist). This will give an opportunity to get closer to the answer on question of time characteristics. And even if we do not obtain the exact answer, we will still be able to formulate the right question about its nature. For this purpose, the present research carries out analysis of the key theories of modern physics with regard to historical and scientific, historical and philosophical perspectives, hi some cases, this gives an opportunity to detect the succession of the associated with time perception ideas, their development, as well as the origination of fundamentally new ones. During the analysis, the conect characteristics of time are formulated from the point of view of physical theory and the attempt to state the nature of time is made. On the ground of conducted research, the conclusions about current state of the problem and its future solution perspectives are drawn.


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