Philosophy of Physics: A Very Short Introduction

Cover
Series page
Philosophy of Physics: A Very Short Introduction
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Acknowledgements
List of illustrations
Introduction
Chapter 1: The methods and fruits of science
	The scientific method—from induction to falsification and beyond
	The demarcation problem: when is something scientific?
	Underdetermination, instrumentalism, and realism
	Scientific realism and theory change
Chapter 2: Motion and inertia
	Rest and motion
	The relativity principle
	Inertial reference frames
	The concept of spacetime
	Does spacetime explain?
	Inertia and gravity
Chapter 3: Relativity and its philosophy
	Problems for the relativity principle: light as a wave
	The rise of relativity
	Time dilation and the twin paradox
	Making time dilation consistent
	Spreading time through space
	Conventionality of simultaneity
	Minkowski spacetime
	Geometrical and dynamical explanations of time dilation
	Epilogue: general relativity
Chapter 4: Reduction and irreversibility
	On the plurality of physics
	Reversibility and irreversibility
	Probability in statistical mechanics
	What are statistical probabilities?
	Reversibility in, reversibility out
	The roots of irreversibility
Chapter 5: Mysteries of the quantum
	Interference and measurement
	Superpositions and quantum states
	Correlation and entanglement
	Bell’s theorem and the necessity of non-locality
Chapter 6: Interpreting the quantum
	Probabilities and measurements
	Change the physics?
	Many worlds
	Non-localityrevisited
	Why does it matter?
References
	Introduction
	Chapter 1: The methods and fruits of science
	Chapter 2: Motion and inertia
	Chapter 3: Relativity and its philosophy
	Chapter 4: Reduction and irreversibility
	Chapter 6: Interpreting the quantum
Further reading
	General philosophy of science (Chapter 1
	Philosophy of space and time (Chapters 2–3)
	Philosophy of statistical mechanics (Chapter 4)
	Philosophy of quantum mechanics (Chapters 5–6)
Index
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