The Science of Can and Can't: A Physicist's Journey through the Land of CounterfactualsA luminous guide to how the radical new science of counterfactuals can reveal that the scope of the universe is greater, and more beautiful, than we ever imagined There is a vast class of things that science has so far almost entirely neglected. They are central to the understanding of physical reality both at an everyday level and at the level of the most fundamental phenomena in physics, yet have traditionally been assumed to be impossible to incorporate into fundamental scientific explanations. They are facts not about what is (the actual) but about what could be (counterfactuals). According to physicist Chiara Marletto, laws about things being possible or impossible may generate an alternative way of providing explanations. This fascinating, far-reaching approach holds promise for revolutionizing the way fundamental physics is formulated and for providing essential tools to face existing technological challenges--from delivering the next generation of information-processing devices beyond the universal quantum computer to designing AIs. Each chapter in the book delineates how an existing vexed open problem in science can be solved by this radically different approach and it is augmented by short fictional stories that explicate the main point of the chapter. As Marletto demonstrates, contemplating what is possible can give us a more complete and hopeful picture of the physical world. |
Other editions - View all
The Science of Can and Can't: A Physicist's Journey Through the Land of ... Chiara Marletto No preview available - 2021 |
Common terms and phrases
ability able abstract actual allowed appear apply approach approximate catalyst cause chapter conception consider contains copied counterfactual properties create dynamical laws elementary energy engines entities everything exact exactly example existence experiment explanation expressed fact fundamental given goes happens hard heat idea imagine important impossible information media initial conditions instance interactions interoperability irreversibility kind knowledge lamp laws of motion laws of physics look machine means mechanical mind natural occur once operation particles particular path perform photon physical laws physical systems possible powerful predictions principle problem produce progress quantum quantum theory question reach reality recipe requires resilient reversible second law sense sequence steps story tell theory things thought tion traditional transfers transformation turn understanding universe