物理学史与哲学

It is generally accepted that quantum mechanics entails a revision of the classical propositional calculus as a consequence of its physical content. However, the universal claim according to which a new quantum logic is indispensable in…

Half of the 2020 Nobel Prize is awarded for discovering a super-massive black hole at the centre of our Galaxy. One of the first indications of the existence of a black hole at the centre of a galaxy was found by Jennison and Das Gupta in…

In 1782 Jos\'e Monteiro da Rocha, astronomer and professor of the University of Coimbra, presented in a public session of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Lisbon a memoir on the problem of the determination of the comets' orbits. Only in…

This is a translation into English of my Masters thesis (hovedoppgave) from 1991. The main topic of the thesis is the relation between fundamental physics and philosophy, and a discussion of several possible ontologies of quantum field…

We discuss Einstein's knowledge of projective geometry. We show that two pages of Einstein's Scratch Notebook from around 1912 with geometrical sketches can directly be associated with similar sketches in manuscript pages dating from his…

A modified version of relational quantum mechanics is developed based on the three following ideas. An observer can develop an internally consistent description of the universe but it will, of necessity, differ in particulars from the…

The only acceptable reason why measurements are irreversible and outcomes definite is the intrinsic definiteness and irreversibility of human sensory experience. While QBists deserve credit for their spirited defense of this position, Niels…

The paper, drawing on the example of simulation codes used in nuclear physics and high-energy physics, seeks to highlight the ethical implications of discontinuing support for simulation codes and the loss of knowledge embodied in them.…

I show how Hamilton's philosophical commitments led him to a causal interpretation of classical mechanics. I argue that Hamilton's metaphysics of causation was injected into his dynamics by way of a causal interpretation of force. I then…

In this paper I bring the recent philosophical literature on theoretical equivalence to bear on dualities in physics. Focusing on electromagnetic duality, which is a simple example of S-duality in string theory, I will show that the duality…

Recent work takes both philosophical and scientific progress to consist in acquiring factive epistemic states such as knowledge. However, much of this work leaves unclear what entity is the subject of these epistemic states. Furthermore, by…

Why is the universe comprehensible? How is it that we can come to know its regularities well-enough to exploit them for our own gain? In this essay I argue that the nature of our comprehension lies in the mutually agreed upon methodology we…

The first time one of us (G.P.) encountered Earle was in Summer 1966, when she was directed to study Earle's papers on radiative corrections to quasi-elastic electron scattering. The suggestion had come from Bruno Touschek, at the time head…

This work reviews the understanding of the direction of time introduced by Hans Reichenbach, including the fundamental relation of the perceived flow of time to the second law of thermodynamics (i.e. the Boltzmann time hypothesis), and the…

It is described how quantum field theory went from a theory for calculating the properties of stationary states, in the mold of quantum mechanics, to the scattering-focused theory we know today. This development is located as originating in…

Solar eclipses play an important role in the history of astronomy because their observation allowed astrophysics to expand. The eclipse of August 30th, 1905 is particularly interesting since the line of totality passes through Spain and…

Astronomers are the surveyors of the sky. They have always dedicated much time and resources to determining the scale of distances in the universe. Today, the Hubble constant; yesterday, the solar parallar. The following account, attributed…

Joseph Devaux, who held a position of assistant-meteorologist at Pic du Midi Observatory, had an outstanding career. He devoted his life to the Pic and to scientific research. A pioneer of the study of snow and glaciers, he also pursued…

In an article written by Giulio Magli on the orientation of the Roman towns, Bononia, the Roman Bologna, is given as a specific example to support Magli's thesis on the existence of preferred solar alignments of the urban layout. Assuming…

Many attempts have been made to provide Quantum Field Theory with conceptually clear and mathematically rigorous foundations; remarkable examples are the Bohmian and the algebraic perspectives respectively. In this essay we introduce the…