History and Philosophy of Physics
There is a deeply entrenched view in philosophy and physics, the closed systems view, according to which isolated systems are conceived of as fundamental. On this view, when a system is under the influence of its environment this is…
A derivation of Balmer's formula is presented, guided by the principles of simplicity and harmony.
In spring 1949 about 70 physicists from eight countries met in Florence to discuss recent trends in statistical mechanics. This scientific gathering, co-organized by the Commission on Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics of the…
This essay offers a meta-level analysis in the sociology and history of physics in the context of the so-called "Arrow of Time Problem" or "Two Times Problem," which asserts that the empirically observed directionality of time is in…
Raoul Gatto and Bruno Touschek's collaboration in the establishment of electron positron colliders as a fundamental discovery tool in particle physics will be illustrated. In particular, we will tell the little-known story of how Gatto and…
We scan Paul K. Feyerabend's work in philosophy of physics and of science more generally for insights that could be useful for the contemporary debate on the foundations of quantum mechanics. We take as our starting point what Feyerabend…
Jacobus C. Kapteyn is regarded as one of the coryfees of the University of Groningen. Part of his legacy is two paintings of him by Dutch painter Jan Pieter Veth. One, showing him at his desk, decorates the Kapteyn Room in the Kapteyn…
The positivistic assumptions of determinism and objectivism in the realm of Newtonian mechanics are questioned in this paper. While objectivism is only challenged through proposing the mildest form of subjectivism, determinism is…
Scholars of the history and philosophy of science have asked what would decolonized science would look like. This paper develops an answer by interrogating the assumption that observations need to be recorded and communicated using the…
The Bohr and von Neumann views on the measurement process in quantum mechanics have been interpreted for a long time in somewhat controversial terms, often leading to misconceptions. On the basis of some textual analysis, I would like to…
Typicality arguments attempt to use the Copernican Principle to draw conclusions about the cosmos and presently unknown conscious beings within it, including extraterrestrial intelligences (ETI). The most notorious is the Doomsday Argument,…
Detlef D\"urr (1951-2021) was a theoretical and mathematical physicist who worked particularly on the foundations of quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, and statistical mechanics. This piece is a rather personal look back at him and his…
An attempt is made to evaluate progress of the Polish astrophysical research of stars and of the inter-stellar medium (ISM) on the basis of scientific paper citations in the ADS database. Rather modest citation levels were observed in the…
Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-1765) is the eminent Russian polymath and a towering figure of the European Enlightenment. This English translation of his seminal work Discourse on Greater Accuracy of Navigation concludes the series of English…
Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-1765) was the eminent Russian polymath and a towering figure of the European Enlightenment. This English translation of Mikhail Lomonosov seminal work "Oration on the Origin of Light " draws from its original Russian…
Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-1765) was a Russian polymath and one of the giants of the European Enlightenment. This English translation of his seminal work Oration on Benefits of Chemistry continues the series of translations of nine most…
This English translation of seminal work of Russian polymath Mikhail Lomonosov. It is derived from its Russian and Latin originals (1757) and continues the series of English translations of Lomonosov nine most important scientific works,…
In orthodox Standard Quantum Mechanics (SQM) bases and factorizations are considered to define quantum states and entanglement in relativistic terms. While the choice of a basis (interpreted as a measurement context) defines a state…
On 22 September 2023 the inauguration of the "Stachelsch\"utzenhaus" at Basel's Petersplatz (St. Peter's Square) as an EPS Historic Site was hosted by the University of Basel. In the following article we will focus first on Daniel…
We discuss the challenges that the standard (Humean and non-Humean) accounts of laws face within the framework of quantum gravity where space and time may not be fundamental. This paper identifies core (meta)physical features that cut…