Carlo Rovelli book challenges science's understanding of reality and the universe

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Hume

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For Carlo Rovelli him, the lesson of quantum mechanics is relationality. Everything exists only in relation to everything else. That means the properties of a system – any object – are always relational properties.

There is no way to see them from an ultimate or absolute perspective because there are no ultimate or absolute perspectives. And in the absence of an ultimate perspective the power of physics to ultimately "explain everything" also falls apart.

 
In general relativity, spacetime is an objectively real property of the cosmos.

In quantum mechanics, there are schools of thought that the quantum wave function is an objective ontological reality of the universe, while other schools of thought assert the wave function is just epistemological.

I tend to be more convinced by arguments that the wave function is objectively real. And I think it's beyond any serious doubt that spacetime is an objectively real property.
 
Cypress said:
In general relativity, spacetime is an objectively real property of the cosmos.

In quantum mechanics, there are schools of thought that the quantum wave function is an objective ontological reality of the universe, while other schools of thought assert the wave function is just epistemological.

I tend to be more convinced by arguments that the wave function is objectively real. And I think it's beyond any serious doubt that spacetime is an objectively real property.
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I disagree and agree with Rovelli.
 
Cypress said:
I agree with the cautionary statement that physics can't explain everything. Most people don't seem to realize that ultimately, science describes; it does not explain.
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Goes back to a debate with Newton who insisted physics is not instrumentalist, it is reality.
 
Cypress said:
In general relativity, spacetime is an objectively real property of the cosmos.

In quantum mechanics, there are schools of thought that the quantum wave function is an objective ontological reality of the universe, while other schools of thought assert the wave function is just epistemological.

I tend to be more convinced by arguments that the wave function is objectively real. And I think it's beyond any serious doubt that spacetime is an objectively real property.
Click to expand...
"What is the foundation of everything? What is the basis of everything? What is a single substance, a single thing, the single field from which everything derives? Well, I think that the best answer to that is that this is a bad question.

We’re not interested in the ultimate explanation. There’s no ultimate explanation."
www.sciencefriday.com

Why physics and philosophy need each other

Physicist Carlo Rovelli urges conversations between physics and philosophy in a search for answers about the universe.
www.sciencefriday.com www.sciencefriday.com
 
Hume said:
Goes back to a debate with Newton who insisted physics is not instrumentalist, it is reality.
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Newton was wrong that space and time are fixed and absolute. But Einstein did not totally overturn the basic concept. Spacetime intervals are definitely universal and objective.

There is a big unresolved question about the nature of the quantum wave function.

I tend to be more convinced that scientific realism as a project is what most scientists are doing.
 
Hume said:
No, that is just theory. Realism is an ideology.
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Right, realism is a philosophy of science.
Instrumentalism is a different philosophy of science.

On of the misconceptions of quantum mechanics is that it is settled science that the wave function represents the probabilistic nature of measurement outcomes, but that no definite quantities exist independent of the measurement.

But there are theories of quantum mechanics which hold that the wave function only captures a part of the statistical reality but it's not telling us the whole story. These theories claim that there are definite, deterministic quantities that exist independent of measurement.
 
Cypress said:
Right, realism is a philosophy of science.
Instrumentalism is a different philosophy of science.

On of the misconceptions of quantum mechanics is that it is settled science that the wave function represents the probabilistic nature of measurement outcomes, but that no definite quantities exist independent of the measurement.

But there are theories of quantum mechanics which hold that the wave function only captures a part of the statistical reality but it's not telling us the whole story. These theories claim that there are definite, deterministic quantities that exist independent of measurement.
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Even Leibniz, a contemporary of Newton, disputed the notion of absolutes.
 
Hume said:
Even Leibniz, a contemporary of Newton, disputed the notion of absolutes.
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I don't agree with Leibniz that space is just an artifact of the distribution of matter.

Space seems to have intrinsic properties uniquely it's own, like vacuum energy, suggesting to me space has an inherent reality all it's own.
 
Hume said:
"What is the foundation of everything? What is the basis of everything? What is a single substance, a single thing, the single field from which everything derives? Well, I think that the best answer to that is that this is a bad question.

We’re not interested in the ultimate explanation. There’s no ultimate explanation."
www.sciencefriday.com

Why physics and philosophy need each other

Physicist Carlo Rovelli urges conversations between physics and philosophy in a search for answers about the universe.
www.sciencefriday.com www.sciencefriday.com
Click to expand...
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Hume said:
What is "an inherent reality?"
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An essential and intrinsic property of space that does not depend on anything external.

Aka, the vacuum energy of empty space, the charge of an electron, the speed of light in a vacuum.
 
Hume said:
You are just a very sad person full of hate and contempt. You only harass people.
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As do you. The only difference is, I actually went to a university with "majors" and 'grades" and stuff like that so I actually learned a bit more about Quantum than most of you folks who were out pressing flowers for credits. :)

Also I don't do like you and tell people to do horrible things. You are evil. :)
 
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