What Breathes Fire Into the Equations? - Understanding Laws of Nature in Physics
Offered By: Foundations of Physics @Harvard via YouTube
Course Description
Overview
Explore a thought-provoking lecture on the philosophy of science and the nature of physical laws. Delve into the historical development of the concept of laws of nature, tracing its origins from 17th and 18th-century thinkers to contemporary philosophical debates. Examine the contrasting perspectives of anti-Humean and Humean approaches to understanding scientific laws. Discover the speaker's contribution to Lewis' Best Systems account, extending it to incorporate objective probabilities in quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics. Learn about "The Mentaculus" framework and its implications for understanding time's arrows, causation, and the compatibility of free will with physics. Gain insights into the fundamental questions surrounding the nature of reality and the role of scientific laws in explaining the manifest world.
Syllabus
Barry Loewer - "What Breathes Fire Into the Equations?"
Taught by
Foundations of Physics @Harvard
Related Courses
Statistical Mechanics: Algorithms and ComputationsÉcole normale supérieure via Coursera Physics of Materials
Indian Institute of Technology Madras via Swayam From Atoms to Materials: Predictive Theory and Simulations
Purdue University via edX Statistical Mechanics
Indian Institute of Technology Madras via Swayam Thermodynamics: Classical To Statistical
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati via Swayam