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47Why ergodic theory does not explain the success of equilibrium statistical mechanicsBritish Journal for the Philosophy of Science 47 (1): 63-78. 1996.We argue that, contrary to some analyses in the philosophy of science literature, ergodic theory falls short in explaining the success of classical equilibrium statistical mechanics. Our claim is based on the observations that dynamical systems for which statistical mechanics works are most likely not ergodic, and that ergodicity is both too strong and too weak a condition for the required explanation: one needs only ergodic-like behaviour for the finite set of observables that matter, but the b…Read more
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3In the Beginning, At the End, and All in Between: Cosmological Aspects of TimeIn Friedrich Stadler & Michael Stöltzner (eds.), Time and History: Proceedings of the 28. International Ludwig Wittgenstein Symposium, Kirchberg Am Wechsel, Austria 2005, De Gruyter. pp. 155-180. 2006.
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15Pre-socratic quantum gravityIn Craig Callender & Nicholas Huggett (eds.), Physics meets philosophy at the planck scale, . pp. 213--55Physicists who work on canonical quantum gravity will sometimes remark that the general covariance of general relativity is responsible for many of the thorniest technical and conceptual problems in their field.1 In particular, it is sometimes alleged that one can trace to this single source a variety of deep puzzles about the nature of time in quantum gravity, deep disagreements surrounding the notion of ‘observable’ in classical and quantum gravity, and deep questions about the nature of the e…Read more
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17Bayes or Bust? A Critical Examination of Bayesian Confirmation TheoryPhilosophical Quarterly 45 (180): 377-379. 1995.
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19How determinism can fail in classical physics and how quantum physics can (sometimes) provide a curePhilosophy of Science 75 (5): 817-829. 2008.Various fault modes of determinism in classical physics are outlined. It is shown how quantum mechanics can cure some forms of classical indeterminism. †To contact the author, please write to: Department of HPS, University of Pittsburgh, 1017 Cathedral of Learning, Pittsburgh, PA 15260; e‐mail: [email protected].
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9The implications of general covariance for the ontology and ideology of spacetimeIn Dennis Geert Bernardus Johan Dieks (ed.), The ontology of spacetime, Elsevier. pp. 3--24. 2006.It generally agreed that the requirement of formal general covariance is a condition of the well-formedness of a spacetime theory and not a restriction on its content. Physicists commonly take the substantive requirement of general covariance to mean that the laws exhibit diffeomorphism invariance and that this invariance is a gauge symmetry. This latter requirement does place restrictions on the content of a spacetime theory. The present paper explores the implications of these restrictions for…Read more
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6Infinitely Challenging: Pitowsky’s Subjective Interpretation and the Physics of Infinite SystemsIn Yemima Ben-Menahem & Meir Hemmo (eds.), Probability in Physics, Springer. pp. 219--232. 2012.On Itamar Pitowsky’s subjective interpretation of quantum mechanics, “the Hilbert space formalism of quantum mechanics [QM] is just a new kind of probability theory”, one whose probabilities correspond to odds rational agents would accept on the outcomes of gambles concerning quantum event structures. Our aim here is to ask whether Pitowsky’s approach can be extended from its original context, of quantum theories for systems with an finite number of degrees of freedom, to systems with an infinit…Read more
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17Notes on the causal theory of timeSynthese 24 (1-2). 1972.I have argued that the most recent versions of the causal theory are subject to serious limitations. The causal analysis of spatiotemporal coincidence considered in Section IV does not apply to space-times in which (1) fails. And current versions of the theory collapse altogether for typical cases of relativistic space-times which are closed in their temporal aspects. Second, I have pointed out that the program of recent causal theorists is based on a false dichotomy — open vs. closed times; for…Read more
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60An attempt to add a little direction to "the problem of the direction of time"Philosophy of Science 41 (1): 15-47. 1974.It is argued that the main problem with "the problem of the direction of time" is to figure out what the problem is or is supposed to be. Towards this end, an attempt is made to disentangle and to classify some of the many issues which have been discussed under the label of 'the direction of time'. Secondly, some technical apparatus is introduced in the hope of producing a sharper formulation of the issues than they have received in the philosophical literature. Finally, some tentative suggestio…Read more
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126Sharpening the Electromagnetic Arrow(s) of TimeIn Craig Callender (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Time, Oxford University Press. 2011.Time in electromagnetism shares many features with time in other physical theories. But there is one aspect of electromagnetism's relationship with time that has always been controversial, yet has not always attracted the limelight it deserves: the electromagnetic arrow of time. Beginning with a re-analysis of a famous argument between Ritz and Einstein over the origins of the radiation arrow, this chapter frames the debate between modern Einsteinians and neo-Ritzians. It tries to find a clean s…Read more
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20Curie’s Principle and spontaneous symmetry breakingInternational Studies in the Philosophy of Science 18 (2 & 3). 2004.In 1894 Pierre Curie announced what has come to be known as Curie's Principle: the asymmetry of effects must be found in their causes. In the same publication Curie discussed a key feature of what later came to be known as spontaneous symmetry breaking: the phenomena generally do not exhibit the symmetries of the laws that govern them. Philosophers have long been interested in the meaning and status of Curie's Principle. Only comparatively recently have they begun to delve into the mysteries of …Read more
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8Why Space is Not a Substance (at Least Not to First Degree)Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 67 (4): 225-244. 1986.
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7Laplacian determinism, or is this any way to run a universe?Journal of Philosophy 68 (21): 729-744. 1971.
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71the success of classical equilibrium statistical mechanics. Our claim is based on the observations that dynamical systems for which statistical mechanics works are most likely not ergodic, and that ergodicity is both too strong and too weak a condition for the required explanation: one needs only ergodic-like behavior for the finite set of observables that matter, but the behavior must ensure that the approach to equilibrium for these obsersvables is on the appropriate..
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16The Unruh effect for philosophersStudies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 42 (2): 81-97. 2011.The importance of the Unruh effect lies in the fact that, together with the related Hawking effect, it serves to link the three main branches of modern physics: thermal/statistical physics, relativity theory/gravitation, and quantum physics. However, different researchers can have in mind different phenomena when they speak of “the Unruh effect” in flat spacetime and its generalization to curved spacetimes. Three different approaches are reviewed here. They are shown to yield results that are so…Read more
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2Infinities, Infinitesimals, and Indivisibles: The Leibnizian LabyrinthStudia Leibnitiana 7 (2). 1975.Es werden zwei Bedeutungen von „Infinitesimal“ unterschieden und zwei Thesen verteidigt: (1) Leibniz glaubte, das Infinitesimale in einer der beiden Bedeutungen sei nicht nur eine nützliche Erdichtung, sondern es sei sogar notwendig fur die Differentialrechnung; (2) die moderne Nichtstand-Analysis rechtfertigt weder Leibniz's Griinde fur die Einführung des Infinitesimalen noch seinen Gebrauch desselben
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5Weyling the time away: the non-unitary implementability of quantum field dynamics on curved spacetimeStudies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 33 (2): 151-184. 2002.The simplest case of quantum field theory on curved spacetime—that of the Klein–Gordon field on a globally hyperbolic spacetime—reveals a dilemma: In generic circumstances, either there is no dynamics for this quantum field, or else there is a dynamics that is not unitarily implementable. We do not try to resolve the dilemma here, but endeavour to spell out the consequences of seizing one or the other horn of the dilemma.
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27Reassessing the prospects for a growing Block model of the universeInternational Studies in the Philosophy of Science 22 (2). 2008.Although C. D. Broad's notion of Becoming has received a fair amount of attention in the philosophy-of-time literature, there are no serious attempts to show how to replace the standard 'block' spacetime models by models that are more congenial to Broad's idea that the sum total of existence is continuously increased by Becoming or the coming into existence of events. In the Newtonian setting Broad-type models can be constructed in a cheating fashion by starting with a Newtonian block model, car…Read more
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10Bayes, Hume, Price, and MiraclesIn E. Eells (ed.), Bayes's Theorem, Oxford University Press. pp. 91--110. 2008.This chapter discusses the Bayesian analysis of miracles. It is set in the context of the eighteenth-century debate on miracles. The discussion is focused on the probable response of Thomas Bayes to David Hume's celebrated argument against miracles. The chapter presents the claim that the criticisms Richard Price made against Hume's argument against miracles were largely solid.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Areas of Specialization
Philosophy of Physical Science |
General Philosophy of Science |
Areas of Interest
Philosophy of Physical Science |
General Philosophy of Science |