One of the things we often debate here is the definition of "consciousness," but consciousness is far from the only concept that is difficult to define. Others include religion, democracy, free will, and biological life. Life has a number of definitions, many of which are suitable for particular purposes. If I recall correctly, NASA, for … Continue reading Viruses and the definition of “life”
Tag: Science
An excellent explanation of quantum decoherence, and how it might lead to many worlds
Matt O'Dowd is a first class science communicator. In this latest video, he does an excellent job explaining decoherence, and why the MWI (many worlds interpretation) ends up being so tempting when you see it through. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlOwJWJWPUs Of course, this doesn't mean MWI is the right interpretation, but it does demonstrate why many find it … Continue reading An excellent explanation of quantum decoherence, and how it might lead to many worlds
The role of beauty and simplicity in scientific theories
In the post on Copernicus earlier this week, I noted that his heliocentric theory, right from its initial publication, was hailed as far more mathematically elegant than the Aristotelian / Ptolemaic system, which was taken as the canonical model of the universe at the time. But while everyone hailed Copernican mathematics, virtually no one accepted … Continue reading The role of beauty and simplicity in scientific theories
A theory more pleasing to the mind
For most of human history, the Earth was seen as the stationary center of the universe, with the sun, planets, and starry firmament circling around it at various speeds. The ancient Greeks quickly managed to work out that the Earth was spherical but struggled to explain the motions of the heavens. Eventually Eudoxus, a student … Continue reading A theory more pleasing to the mind
The discovery of discovery
I've been thinking lately about the history of science, particularly the period between 1500 and 1700, what is usually referred to as "the scientific revolution." I'm a bit leery of many accounts of this period, as they often assume that there's some bright line separating science from what came before. There's a tendency to look … Continue reading The discovery of discovery
The problems with post-empirical science
Jim Baggott has a pretty good piece at Aeon on the problems with post-empirical science. I've highlighted Baggott's views before. Along with others like Sabine Hossenfelder and Peter Woit, he calls attention to a serious issue in physics, the rising acceptance of theories that show little promise of being testable in the foreseeable future. In … Continue reading The problems with post-empirical science
Don’t teach Congress about science and technology; teach the voters
M. Anthony Mills has a short piece at Politico advocating the return of the OTA (Office of Technology Assessment), which was defunded in the 1990s as a budget cutting measure. The argument is that congress needs to know more about science and technology, that maybe if they knew more, they'd make better decisions. Except, politics … Continue reading Don’t teach Congress about science and technology; teach the voters
Sean Carroll’s Something Deeply Hidden
I'm just about finished reading Sean Carroll's Something Deeply Hidden. I was going to wait to post this until I'd completely finished, but all I've got left is the appendix, I perceive that I've gotten through the main points, and discussion on the previous post is veering in this direction. As widely reported, Carroll is … Continue reading Sean Carroll’s Something Deeply Hidden
Why you can’t use quantum entanglement for faster than light communication
Albert Einstein, with his theory of special relativity, established that the speed of light is the absolute speed limit of the universe. A rocket ship attempting to accelerate to the speed of light encounters some well known effects: time dilation, mass increase, and length contraction. The closer to the speed of light it gets, the … Continue reading Why you can’t use quantum entanglement for faster than light communication
Recommendation: What Is Real?
Last week I started listening to a Sean Carroll podcast episode, an interview of Adam Becker on his book, What Is Real?: The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics. Before even finishing the episode, I downloaded Becker's book and read it. Becker starts out in the early decades of the 20th century, when … Continue reading Recommendation: What Is Real?
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