scholarly journals The Relativity of Indeterminacy

Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 1326
Author(s):  
Flavio Del Del Santo ◽  
Nicolas Gisin
Keyword(s):  
Special Relativity ◽  
Classical Case ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Philosophical Literature ◽  
Relative Property ◽  
Block Universe

A long-standing tradition, largely present in both the physical and the philosophical literature, regards the advent of (special) relativity—with its block-universe picture—as the failure of any indeterministic program in physics. On the contrary, in this paper, we note that upholding reasonable principles of finiteness of information hints at a picture of the physical world that should be both relativistic and indeterministic. We thus rebut the block-universe picture by assuming that fundamental indeterminacy itself should also be regarded as a relative property when considered in a relativistic scenario. We discuss the consequence that this view may have when correlated randomness is introduced, both in the classical case and in the quantum one.

II. Your Present Moment in Spacetime

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (06) ◽  
pp. 0626
Author(s):  
Conrad Dale Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Physics ◽  
Distributed Processing ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Measuring Instruments ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Local Measurement ◽  
Hyperbolic Structure ◽  
Objective Reality ◽  
Block Universe

This essay extends the argument begun in "Why Quantum Mechanics Makes Sense," exploring the conditions under which a physical world can define and communicate information. I argue that like the structure of quantum physics, the principles of Special and General Relativity can be understood as reflecting the requirements of a universe in which things are observable and measurable. I interpret the peculiar hyperbolic structure of spacetime not as the static, four-dimensional geometry of an unobservable "block universe", but as the background metric of an evolving web of communicated information that we, along with all our measuring instruments and recording devices, actually experience in our local "here and now." Our relativistic universe is conceived as a parallel distributed processing system, in which a common objective reality is constantly being woven out of many kinds of facts determined separately in countless local measurement-contexts.

scholarly journals World Lines in Einstein's Elevator

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Rouaud
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Special Relativity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Thought Experiment ◽  
Free Fall ◽  
Classical Case ◽  
Frame Of Reference ◽  
Qualitative Aspect ◽  
Morley Experiment ◽  
Faster Than Light

We all have in mind Einstein's famous thought experiment in the elevator where we observe the free fall of a body, and then the trajectory of a light ray. Simply here, in addition to the qualitative aspect, we carry out the exact calculation. We consider a uniformly accelerated reference frame in rectilinear translation, and we show that the trajectories of the particles are semi-ellipses with the center on the event horizon. The frame of reference is non-inertial, the space-time is flat, the metric is non-Minkowskian, and the computations are performed within the framework of special relativity. Some experimental consequences are discussed, such as the deviation of trajectories, the desynchronization of a falling clock, the accelerated Michelson-Morley experiment, and, finally, an experiment where a paradox appears — a particle of matter seems to go faster than light. The differences, compared to the classical case, are important at large scale and close to the horizon, but they are small in the lift where the interest is above all theoretical. The concepts of metric, coordinated velocity and horizon are discussed, and the analogy with the black hole is made.

scholarly journals World Lines in Einstein's Elevator

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Rouaud
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Special Relativity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Thought Experiment ◽  
Free Fall ◽  
Classical Case ◽  
Frame Of Reference ◽  
Qualitative Aspect ◽  
Morley Experiment ◽  
Faster Than Light

We all have in mind Einstein’s famous thought experiment in the elevator where we observe the free fall of a body, and then the trajectory of a light ray. Simply here, in addition to the qualitative aspect, we carry out the exact calculation. We consider a uniformly accelerated reference frame in rectilinear translation, and we show that the trajectories of the particles are ellipses centered on the event horizon. The frame of reference is non-inertial, the space-time is flat, the metric is non-Minkowskian, and the computations are performed within the framework of special relativity. Some experimental consequences are discussed, such as the deviation of trajectories, the desynchronization of a falling clock, the accelerated Michelson-Morley experiment, and, finally, an experiment where a paradox appears — a particle of matter seems to go faster than light. The differences, compared to the classical case, are important at large scale and close to the horizon, but they are small in the lift where the interest is above all theoretical and pedagogical. The study helps the student to become familiar with the concepts of metric, coordinate velocity, horizon, and, to do the analogy with the black hole.

scholarly journals Worldlines in the Einstein's Elevator

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Rouaud
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Special Relativity ◽  
Reference Frame ◽  
Thought Experiment ◽  
Free Fall ◽  
Classical Case ◽  
Space Time ◽  
Frame Of Reference ◽  
Exact Calculation ◽  
Qualitative Aspect

We all have in mind Einstein's famous thought experiment in the elevator where we observe the free fall of a body and then the trajectory of a light ray. Simply here, in addition to the qualitative aspect, we carry out the exact calculation. We consider a uniformly accelerated reference frame in rectilinear translation and we show that the trajectories of the particles are ellipses centered on the horizon of the events. The frame of reference is non-inertial, the space-time is flat, the metric is non-Minkowskian and the computations are performed within the framework of special relativity. The deviation, compared to the classical case, is important close to the horizon, but small in the box, and the interest is above all theoretical and pedagogical. The study helps the student to become familiar with the concepts of metric, coordinate velocity, horizon, and, to do the analogy with the black hole.

scholarly journals Causality re-established

2018 ◽  
Vol 376 (2123) ◽  
pp. 20170313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giacomo Mauro D’Ariano
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Theory ◽  
Classical Theory ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Foundations Of Quantum Mechanics ◽  
Classical Case ◽  
The Status ◽  
Interpretation Of Quantum Theory ◽  
False Idea ◽  
Block Universe ◽  
Probabilistic Theories

Causality has never gained the status of a ‘law’ or ‘principle’ in physics. Some recent literature has even popularized the false idea that causality is a notion that should be banned from theory. Such misconception relies on an alleged universality of the reversibility of the laws of physics, based either on the determinism of classical theory, or on the multiverse interpretation of quantum theory, in both cases motivated by mere interpretational requirements for realism of the theory. Here, I will show that a properly defined unambiguous notion of causality is a theorem of quantum theory, which is also a falsifiable proposition of the theory. Such a notion of causality appeared in the literature within the framework of operational probabilistic theories. It is a genuinely theoretical notion, corresponding to establishing a definite partial order among events, in the same way as we do by using the future causal cone on Minkowski space. The notion of causality is logically completely independent of the misidentified concept of ‘determinism’, and, being a consequence of quantum theory, is ubiquitous in physics. In addition, as classical theory can be regarded as a restriction of quantum theory, causality holds also in the classical case, although the determinism of the theory trivializes it. I then conclude by arguing that causality naturally establishes an arrow of time. This implies that the scenario of the ‘block Universe’ and the connected ‘past hypothesis’ are incompatible with causality, and thus with quantum theory: they are both doomed to remain mere interpretations and, as such, are not falsifiable, similar to the hypothesis of ‘super-determinism’. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Foundations of quantum mechanics and their impact on contemporary society’.

scholarly journals World Lines in Einstein's Elevator

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Rouaud
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Special Relativity ◽  
Reference Frame ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Thought Experiment ◽  
Michelson Interferometer ◽  
Free Fall ◽  
Classical Case ◽  
Frame Of Reference ◽  
Qualitative Aspect

We all have in mind Einstein's famous thought experiment in the elevator where we observe the free fall of a body and then the trajectory of a light ray. Simply here, in addition to the qualitative aspect, we carry out the exact calculation. We consider a uniformly accelerated reference frame in rectilinear translation and we show that the trajectories of the particles are ellipses centered on the horizon of the events. The frame of reference is non-inertial, the space-time is flat, the metric is non-Minkowskian and the computations are performed within the framework of special relativity. Some experimental consequences are discussed such as trajectory deviation, desynchronization of a falling clock and the Michelson interferometer. The differences, compared to the classical case, are important at large scale and close to the horizon, but they are small in the box where the interest is above all theoretical and pedagogical. The study helps the student to become familiar with the concepts of metric, coordinate velocity, horizon, and, to do the analogy with the black hole.

The Block Universe from Special Relativity

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Silberstein ◽  
W.M. Stuckey ◽  
Timothy McDevitt
Keyword(s):  
Special Relativity ◽  
Time Dilation ◽  
Theoretical Physics ◽  
Philosophy Of Physics ◽  
Lorentz Transformations ◽  
The Past ◽  
Length Contraction ◽  
Foundations Of Physics ◽  
Main Thread ◽  
Block Universe

Before explaining how the God’s-eye view resolves the impasse of theoretical physics and foundations of physics created by the ant’s-eye view, the book presents a detailed argument for the block universe. Accordingly, the main thread of chapter 2 shows how the relativity of simultaneity resolves the paradoxes associated with time dilation and length contraction that result from special relativity. A short argument is then presented showing how the relativity of simultaneity implies a block universe, that is, the co-reality or co-existence of the past, present, and future. Philosophy of Physics for Chapter 2 provides a detailed argument for block universe, taking into account all counterarguments and assumptions of the abridged argument in the main thread. Foundational Physics for Chapter 2 shows how the second postulate of special relativity leads to time dilation and length contraction, and it contains the Lorentz transformations for the spacetime events used in the main thread.

scholarly journals TEORIA FISICA E SUA REALIFICAZIONE. CASO DI STUDIO: LA CAUSALITÀ

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giacomo Mauro D'Ariano
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Theory ◽  
Joint Probability ◽  
Classical Case ◽  
Causal Connection ◽  
Objective Reality ◽  
Quantum Theories ◽  
Nature Of Time ◽  
Object Ontology ◽  
Block Universe

I will discuss realism of classical and quantum theories, assessing the untenability of the object ontology, and proposing its substitution with the notion of system used in operational theories, notion that represents a theoretical connection between two events. Within operational theories the distinction between theory and objective reality is well defined: the theory provides the mathematical description of systems and events, and predicts the joint probability of the events; objective reality is identified with the collection of events that actually occurred. I then analyse some cases of realification of the theory – namely the fallacy of identifying theory with reality. In particular, the cases of the notion of causality and causal connection between events are analysed, emphasising their purely theoretical nature, contrarily to the widespread connotation of objectivity. I re-establish the role of causality in physics as a theorem of quantum theory, and hence also of classical theory (which is a restriction of quantum theory), showing how it represents a probabilistic generalisation of the same concept used in special relativity, and discussing why such notion may trivialise in the classical case. I end with a critique of David Albert’s Past Hypothesis about the nature of time, and of the resulting Block Universe vision of space-time, to reaffirm Reality of Time.

Acquisition and Use of Mental Operators: Effects of Type of Practice

2002 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burkhard Müller ◽  
Jürgen Gehrke
Keyword(s):  
Mental Models ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Test Phase ◽  
Acquisition Phase ◽  
Practice Test ◽  
Subsequent Test ◽  
Use Of Knowledge

Abstract. Planning interactions with the physical world requires knowledge about operations; in short, mental operators. Abstractness of content and directionality of access are two important properties to characterize the representational units of this kind of knowledge. Combining these properties allows four classes of knowledge units to be distinguished that can be found in the literature: (a) rules, (b) mental models or schemata, (c) instances, and (d) episodes or chunks. The influence of practicing alphabet-arithmetic operators in a prognostic, diagnostic, or retrognostic way (A + 2 = ?, A? = C, or ? + 2 = C, respectively) on the use of that knowledge in a subsequent test was used to assess the importance of these dimensions. At the beginning, the retrognostic use of knowledge was worse than the prognostic use, although identical operations were involved (A + 2 = ? vs. ? - 2 = A). This disadvantage was reduced with increased practice. Test performance was best if the task and the letter pairs were the same as in the acquisition phase. Overall, the findings support theories proposing multiple representational units of mental operators. The disadvantage for the retrognosis task was recovered in the test phase, and may be evidence for the importance of the order of events independent of the order of experience.

Emerging Cyber-Physical Systems : An Overview

2018 ◽  
pp. 306-316
Author(s):  
Okolie S.O. ◽  
Kuyoro S.O. ◽  
Ohwo O. B
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Economic Benefit ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Cyber Physical Systems ◽  
Cyber Physical System ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Strategic Research ◽  
Physical Systems ◽  
Security Issues ◽  
Wide Range

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) will revolutionize how humans relate with the physical world around us. Many grand challenges await the economically vital domains of transportation, health-care, manufacturing, agriculture, energy, defence, aerospace and buildings. Exploration of these potentialities around space and time would create applications which would affect societal and economic benefit. This paper looks into the concept of emerging Cyber-Physical system, applications and security issues in sustaining development in various economic sectors; outlining a set of strategic Research and Development opportunities that should be accosted, so as to allow upgraded CPS to attain their potential and provide a wide range of societal advantages in the future.

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