...completest possible presentment of facts with the least possible expenditure of thought. — Mach (Newman, WM, Vol. 3, p. 1792) 8.1 Historical Background In this chapter we will look at logical positivism, the most influential phi- Logical Analysis losophy of science in the twentieth century. In spite of the fact that logical positivism has been abandoned by most philosophers of science, its influence continues in many disciplines, including physics, linguistics and psychology. We will be especially concerned with logical positivism’s view of knowledge, which is, roughly: (1) the only real knowledge is scientific knowledge; (2) by a process of logical analysis scientific knowledge can be reduced to symbolic formulas constructed from “atomic facts.” Certainly assertion (1) is nothing new; Socrates said as much when he distinguished “scientific knowledge” 303 304 Empiricism Anglo-American Roots Continental Roots Auguste Comte: 1798–1857 CHAPTER 8. LOGICAL POSITIVISM (episteme) from a “practice” (empeiria); see Section 2.4.3. Furthermore, assertion (2) is implicit in Pythagorianism and is a continuous theme in most Western epistemology, from Plato and Aristotle, through Hobbes and Leibnitz, to Boole and Hilbert. In this sense logical positivism is just the continuation of this long tradition. The major innovation of logical positivism follows from a new understanding of scientific knowledge, and in the resulting view of...
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...Andrew Davis December 12, 2013 English 181 Professor Kappeler Postmodernism and Identity in Haruki Murakami’s Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World Since the Age of Enlightenment, the ideas of identity and consciousness have been explored by philosophers, psychologists, writers, and more. Since then, the definition of what identity is has changed and evolved, leaving the true, overarching definition unknown. In his novel Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Japanese author Haruki Murakami explores the ideas of identity and the consciousness through ideas brought up by postmodernist philosophers and psychologists such as Karl Marx, C.G. Jung, and Sigmund Freud and uses them to create characterization, themes, plot, and symbolism. An important point many notice when reading this book is that the plot is split into two plot lines: Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of the World. Wonderland is set in a modern-esque Tokyo, where the narrator is a Calcutec - a data manager that shuffles data in his head. In this arc, the story revolves around the job the narrator is doing for an old man known simply as the Professor. The other story arc, The End of the World, revolves around a narrator known as the Dreamreader. He is trapped in a walled-in town, where he is told his shadow must be removed and that he cannot leave. He is then made to read dreams from the skulls of unicorns, which live outside the town wall. While the story arcs seem to not connect to...
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...VASILEIOS-MARIOS GKORTSAS vasilisg@mit.edu 6.638 Term Paper Attosecond Pulse Generation Abstract: The word “attosecond” (1 as = 10-18 sec) entered the vocabulary of physics when sub-femtosecond pulses of UV/XUV light were established. High harmonic generation (HHG) is currently the only experimentally proven method for generating attosecond pulses. Attosecond science has opened the door to real-time observation and time-domain control of atomic-scale electron dynamics. In this work, we review the essentials of the generation of attosecond pulses and we mention the applications of attosecond science in the control of electronic motion. 1. Introduction The need for finer time resolution and the quest for higher peak power explain the continuous trend towards shorter laser pulses since the invention of the laser. The historical progress of ultra-short technology is summarized in Figure 1. The first pulse lasers had duration of several hundreds of microseconds. The invention of Q-switching (Hellwarth, 1961) reduced the pulse length to 10 ns (four orders of magnitude decrease). The invention of laser mode locking (DiDomenico, 1964; Hargrove et al., 1964; Siegman, 1970) accompanied by broad gain laser media (Shank and Ippen 1974) further reduced the duration to less than 1 ps (another four orders of magnitude decrease). The ring cavity with intra-cavity prism compensation of the group velocity dispersion produced pulses of 6 fs (Fork et al, 1987)...
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...Other academic advisors | László Rátz | Doctoral students | Donald B. Gillies Israel Halperin | Other notable students | Paul Halmos Clifford Hugh Dowker Benoit Mandelbrot[1] | Known for | [show] | Notable awards | Bôcher Memorial Prize (1938) Enrico Fermi Award (1956) | Signature | John von Neumann (/vɒn ˈnɔɪmən/; December 28, 1903 – February 8, 1957) was a Hungarian and American pure and applied mathematician, physicist, inventor and polymath. He made major contributions to a number of fields,[2] including mathematics (foundations of mathematics, functional analysis, ergodic theory, geometry, topology, and numerical analysis), physics (quantum mechanics, hydrodynamics, and fluid dynamics), economics (game theory), computing (Von Neumann architecture, linear programming, self-replicating machines, stochastic computing), and statistics.[3] He was a pioneer of the application of operator theory to quantum mechanics, in the development of functional analysis, a principal member of the Manhattan Project and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton (as one of the few...
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...Astronomy 2B03: Lecture 2: What’s Out There? * Objects in the universe come in a hierarchy of scales and sizes: * Planets * Stars * Galaxies * The universe as a whole * These scales are so different from one step to the next that they are incredibly hard to comprehend all at once – no “everyday” experience to refer them to * If the Earth were a basketball how big would the moon be? Tennis ball * How many Earths would fit into the Sun? ~ 1 million * How many Jupiter’s would fit inside the Sun? 900 * How many Moons would fit inside the Earth? 50 * If we say the distance from here to Toronto (71 km) represents the distance between the Earth and the Sun, how far are we from Pluto? From Hamilton to Mexico, or from Hamilton to Calgary * If we say the distance from here to Toronto represents the distance between the Earth and the Sun, how far is the Earth from the Moon? From here to the edge of campus (Sterling and Forsyth) * If we say the distance from here to Toronto represents the distance between the Earth and the Sun, how big is the Earth? 3 meters * If we say the distance from here to Toronto represents the distance between the Earth and the Sun, how far is the Sun from the next nearest Star? 1/10th the distance from the Sun to Earth Lecture 3: The Earth: * Our starting point and only home * Both land and water * The only planet to have liquid water at its surface * Atmosphere: dense...
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...Time The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives Euclid’s Window: The Story of Geometry from Parallel Lines to Hyperspace Feynman’s Rainbow: A Search for Beauty in Physics and in Life FOR CHILDREN The Last Dinosaur (with Matt Costello) Titanic Cat (with Matt Costello) The Grand Design The Grand Design The Grand Design The Grand Design Copyright © 2010 by Stephen W. Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow Original art copyright © 2010 by Peter Bollinger All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Bantam Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. Cartoons by Sidney Harris, copyright © Sciencecartoonsplus.com BANTAM BOOKS and the rooster colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. eISBN: 978-0-553-90707-0 www.bantamdell.com v3.0 The Grand Design The Grand Design The Grand Design The Grand Design E EACH EXIST FOR BUT A SHORT TIME, and in that time explore but a small part of the whole universe. But humans are a curious species. We wonder, we seek answers. Living in this vast world that is by turns kind and cruel, and gazing at the immense heavens above, people have always asked a multitude of questions: How can we understand the world in which we find ourselves? How does the universe behave? What is the nature of reality? Where did all this come from? Did the universe need a creator? Most of us do not spend most of our time worrying about these questions, but almost...
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...How is the scientific method used to solve problems? Scientific method used to solve problems by keen observations, rational analysis, and experimentation. Observation: Closely observe the physical world around you. How is the scientific method used to solve problems? Scientific method used to solve problems by keen observations, rational analysis, and experimentation. Observation: Closely observe the physical world around you. Question: Recognize a question or a problem. Hypothesis: An educated guess or a reasonable explanation. When the hypothesis can be tested by experiment, it qualifies as a scientific hypothesis Prediction: Consequences that can be observed if the hypothesis is correct. The consequences should be absent if the hypothesis is not correct. Conclusion: Formulate the simplest general rule that organizes the hypothesis, predicted effects, and experimental findings. What is the principle of falsifiability? For a hypothesis to be considered scientific it must be testable?it must, in principle, be capable of being proven wrong. Fact: A phenomenon about which competent observers can agree. Theory: A synthesis of a large body of information that encompasses well-tested hypotheses about certain aspects of the natural world. Law: A general hypothesis or statement about the relationship of natural quantities that has been tested over and over again and has not been contradicted. Also known as a principle. Evidence: which...
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...Thermodynamics is a branch of physics concerned with heat and temperature and their relation to energy and work. It defines macroscopic variables, such as internal energy, entropy, and pressure, that partly describe a body of matter or radiation. It states that the behavior of those variables is subject to general constraints, that are common to all materials, not the peculiar properties of particular materials. These general constraints are expressed in the four laws of thermodynamics. Thermodynamics describes the bulk behavior of the body, not the microscopic behaviors of the very large numbers of its microscopic constituents, such as molecules. Its laws are explained by statistical mechanics, in terms of the microscopic constituents. Thermodynamics applies to a wide variety of topics in science and engineering, especially Physical chemistry, Chemical engineering, thermal power generation and steam and combustion turbines. Historically, thermodynamics developed out of a desire to increase the efficiency and power output of early steam engines, particularly through the work of the French physicist Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot who believed that the efficiency of heat engines was the key that could help France win the Napoleonic Wars. The Irish-born British physicist Lord Kelvin was the first to formulate a concise definition of thermodynamics in 1854: Initially, thermodynamics, as applied to heat engines, was concerned with the thermal properties of their 'working materials'...
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...Answers to Conceptual Integrated Science End-of-Chapter Questions Chapter 1: About Science Answers to Chapter 1 Review Questions 1 The era of modern science in the 16th century was launched when Galileo Galilei revived the Copernican view of the heliocentric universe, using experiments to study nature’s behavior. 2 In Conceptual Integrated Science, we believe that focusing on math too early is a poor substitute forconcepts. 3 We mean that it must be capable of being proved wrong. 4 Nonscientific hypotheses may be perfectly reasonable; they are nonscientific only because they are not falsifiable—there is no test for possible wrongness. 5 Galileo showed the falseness of Aristotle’s claim with a single experiment—dropping heavy and lightobjects from the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 6 A scientific fact is something that competent observers can observe and agree to be true; a hypothesis is an explanation or answer that is capable of being proved wrong; a law is a hypothesis that has been tested over and over and not contradicted; a theory is a synthesis of facts and well-tested hypotheses. 7 In everyday speech, a theory is the same as a hypothesis—a statement that hasn’t been tested. 8 Theories grow stronger and more precise as they evolve to include new information. 9 The term supernatural literally means “above nature.” Science works within nature, not above it. 10 They rely on subjective personal experience and do not lead to testable hypotheses. They lie outside...
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...NATURE OF MAN HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE IN 10 MODULES E. Kolawole Ogundowole, Ph.D., D.Sc. Professor & Head of Philosophy Department University of Lagos. Akoka, Lagos. Nigeria Correct Counsels Limited Research. Counselling. Publishing. Book Supply First published 2003 Correct Counsels Ltd. P. O. Box 53 Akoka, Lagos. C E. Kolawole Ogundowole, 2003 ISBN: 978 -37004 - 0 – 5 This book is copyright. All rights reserved under the Copyright La Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers. Printed in Nigeria by: Mustard Press Enterprises 16, Ogundola Street Sungas-BAriga. PREFACE A few words about the overall objectives of the course is appropriate as a starting point. Historically, philosophy was the first form of theoretical knowledge. As a rational theoretical tool of comprehending the world, philosophy arose in ancient Greece in stiff battle with mythology and religious consciousness. It came out to lay the foundation for the evolvement of scientific consciousness and the emergence and development of the sciences - Mathematics, Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, etc. In an environment rife with various and varying superstitions and myths, the study of the History of Science and Philosophy of Science becomes crucial, lest science itself falls within the ambit of mythology and superstition and becomes another form of myth even in the hands of the tutored. The study of the History of Science...
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...universe Chronology of the universe • • Astronomy portal Category: Physical cosmology • • • V T E The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of existence,[1][2][3][4] including planets, stars, galaxies, the contents of intergalactic space, the smallest subatomic particles, and all matter and energy.[5][6] Similar terms include the cosmos, the world, reality, and nature. The observable universe is about 46 billion light years in radius.[7] Scientific observation of the Universe has led to inferences of its earlier stages. These observations suggest that the Universe has been governed by the same physical laws and constants throughout most of its extent and history. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that describes the early development of the Universe, which is calculated to have begun13.798 ± 0.037 billion years ago.[8][9] Observations of supernovae have shown that the Universe is expanding at an accelerating rate.[10] There are many competing theories about the ultimate fate of the universe. Physicists remain unsure about what, if anything, preceded the Big Bang. Many refuse to speculate, doubting that any information from any such prior state could ever be accessible. There are various multiverse hypotheses, in which some physicists have suggested that the Universe might be one among many or even an infinite number of universes that likewise exist.[11][12] Contents [hide] 1 Historical observation 2 History 3 Etymology, synonyms and...
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...the middle of the night. Rolling over in bed, blinking open their eyes, civilians reached for the little devices and, in the moment of answering, were effectively drafted as soldiers. They shook themselves awake as they listened to hushed descriptions of a looming threat. Over the next few days and nights, in mid-July of last year, the ranks of these sudden draftees grew, as software analysts and experts in industrial-control systems gathered in makeshift war rooms in 3 of 14 6/21/2014 10:02 PM A Declaration of Cyber-War | Vanity Fair file:///C:/Users/malbun/Desktop/A Declaration of Cyber-War _ Vanity Fair.htm assorted NATO countries. Government officials at the highest levels monitored their work. They faced a crisis which did not yet have a name, but which seemed, at first, to have the potential to bring industrial society to a halt. A self-replicating computer virus, called a worm, was making its way through thousands of computers...
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...Easier! Making Everythin ™ heory tring T S Learn: • The basic concepts of this controversial theory • How string theory builds on physics concepts • The different viewpoints in the field • String theory’s physical implications Andrew Zimmerman Jones Physics Guide, About.com with Daniel Robbins, PhD in Physics Get More and Do More at Dummies.com® Start with FREE Cheat Sheets Cheat Sheets include • Checklists • Charts • Common Instructions • And Other Good Stuff! To access the Cheat Sheet created specifically for this book, go to www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/stringtheory Get Smart at Dummies.com Dummies.com makes your life easier with 1,000s of answers on everything from removing wallpaper to using the latest version of Windows. Check out our • Videos • Illustrated Articles • Step-by-Step Instructions Plus, each month you can win valuable prizes by entering our Dummies.com sweepstakes. * Want a weekly dose of Dummies? Sign up for Newsletters on • Digital Photography • Microsoft Windows & Office • Personal Finance & Investing • Health & Wellness • Computing, iPods & Cell Phones • eBay • Internet • Food, Home & Garden Find out “HOW” at Dummies.com *Sweepstakes not currently available in all countries; visit Dummies.com for official rules. String Theory FOR DUMmIES ‰ by Andrew Zimmerman Jones with Daniel Robbins, PhD in Physics String Theory For Dummies® Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley...
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...Ukraine resistance proves problem for Russia The mood is changing in Crimea. On Friday the Russians took over, largely unopposed by their Ukrainian counterparts. Perhaps in the confused aftermath of events in Kiev, the Ukrainians were still wondering whose orders they were supposed to follow. But today there are large groups of Ukrainian soldiers who resist the new authority in Crimea, who refuse to surrender their bases and their ships, and who are slowly starting to create problems for the Russians. Perhaps a decision has been taken to fight back? So far it has been done peacefully, but each time the troops are pushing the boundaries, hoping to show the world that Ukrainians are being bullied by their Russian masters. The international community may have given up on Crimea. It is clear the new government in Kiev has not. Which brings us to the events of today. 'Insults and obscenities' Russian troops fired into air as Ukrainians marched on a Crimean air base The Russian guard at the airfield in Sevastopol must have considered the prospect of a confrontation like this. Marching towards them was a column of 300 unarmed Ukrainian soldiers, with their flag proudly displayed. The Russians fired over their heads but on went the Ukrainians, marching in line, singing their anthem, in defiance. One volley after the other went over their head and, as they neared the barriers, the rifles of the Russian soldiers were lowered. This airfield at Sevastopol is home to the MiG fighters...
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...book is a call to arms. It is both manual and manifesto, and it grips like a thriller. The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins's brilliant first book and still his most famous, is an international bestseller in thirteen languages. For this new edition there are two major new chapters. 'learned, witty, and very well written...exhilaratingly good.' Sir Peter Medawar, Spectator Richard Dawkins is a Lecturer in Zoology at Oxford University and a Fellow of Mew College, and the author of The Blind Watchmaker. Preface to 1976 edition This book should be read almost as though it were science fiction. It is designed to appeal to the imagination. But it is not science fiction: it is science. Cliche or not, 'stranger than fiction' expresses exactly how I feel about the truth. We are survival machines-robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes. This is a truth which still fills me with astonishment. Though I have known it for years, I never seem to get fully used to it. One of my hopes is that I may have some...
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