物理学史与哲学

In October 1934 Fermi discovered that neutrons became particularly effective in rendering the elements radioactive after being slowed down by hydrogenous substances. His was described as an absolutely unpredictable scientific discovery. In…

Fermi helped establish a new framework for understanding matter, based on quantum theory. This framework refines and improves traditional atomism in two crucial respects. First, the elementary constituents of matter belong to a very small…

This paper has been translated into German and will be included, in a somewhat altered form, in a book Sterne der Zertrummerung, Marietta Blau, Wegbereiterin der Moderne Teilchenphysik, Brigitte Strohmaier and Robert Rosner, eds., Boehlau…

A modern assessment of the classical Boltzmann-Schuetz argument for large-scale entropy fluctuations as the origin of our observable cosmological domain is given. The emphasis is put on the central implication of this picture which flatly…

The principle that celestial bodies must move on circular orbits or on paths resulting from the composition of circular orbits has been assumed as a constant guide in the astronomical thougth of the peoples facing the Mediterranean sea as…

A hundred years ago, the quantum concept provoked a revolution in science and the search of a new conceptual basis for whole physics, as emphasized by Einstein. In this paper, I discuss the essential features of Planck's works in 1900 on…

It has been shown at other occasions that recent results of modern physics can be used to shed some more light onto the foundations of the world, provided the actual task of philosophy is being re-interpreted in terms of a theory which is…

The general status of neutrino physics are given. The history of the neutrino, starting from Pauli and Fermi, is presented. The phenomenological V-A theory of the weak interaction and the unified theory of the weak and electromagnetic…

In the history of physics 1905 can be considered as the year of Einstein's proclamation of independence of events. Indeed the concept of independent events occupies a essential place in the three main 1905 Einstein's papers (quanta of…

This paper provides an overview of the birth and early development of Indian astronomy. Taking account of significant new findings from archaeology and literary analysis, it is shown that early mathematical astronomy arose in India in the…

In recent years, a change in attitude in particle physics has led to our understanding current quantum field theories as effective field theories (EFTs). The present paper is concerned with the significance of this EFT approach, especially…

This paper shows that characteristic features of Puranic cosmology, such as alternating cosmic continents and oceans of successively doubling areas, can be traced to Vedic texts. The Rigveda speaks of seven regions of the universe, and…

Alonso de la Veracruz conducted a physical study of image, regarding the activities of Soul in which image is produced, as organic operations. This research was particularly important since, at that time, image was systematically used to…

This paper examines the history of the development of dimensional analysis, from Euclidean geometry to hyperspace. This is largely a secondary source work intended to summarize, as briefly as possible, with enough mathematical rigor, the…

After some brief biographical notes, Wolfgang Pauli's main contributions to general relativity, quantum theory, quantum field theory, and elementary particle physics are reviewed. A detailed description is given how Pauli descovered -…

Special relativity was discovered at the eve of the century, but finds its roots in the 19th century efforts to understand the optics and electromagnetism of moving bodies. These roots are reviewed in Parts 1 and 2, the latter being…

The recently published book, ``Lise Meitner and the Dawn of the Nuclear Age'', by Patricia Rife (Boston: Birkh\"{a}user, 1999) is reviewed in an essay for the lay audience. Meitner was a leading nuclear physicist at the time that the…

We propose a distinction between the physical and the mathematical parts of gauge field theories. The main problem we face is to uphold a strong and meaningful criterion of what is physical. We like to call it "Field's dilemma", referring…

Short note by Marcel Brillouin on the representation of the mass point in general relativity.

Until this century, the number of working female scientists has been indeterminate. Prevailing wisdom indicates that women, historically, have not excelled in the mathematics and sciences, for various reasons. These range from societal…