The Philosophy of Quantum Theory
Tim Maudlin
Instructor
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Tim MaudlinTim Maudlin is professor of philosophy at New York University and a world-leader in the field of philosophy of physics.
Categories
About the Course
In the early 20th century, certain observations were made that seemed to contradict the model given by classical physics. These new observations eventually gave rise to a new and controversial interpretation of reality: the Copenhagen Quantum Theory.
Why did Einstein claim that God didn’t play dice? What does it mean for two particles to be in an entangled state? Is the world necessarily deterministic, or is it possible that some processes are truly random? What is spooky action-at-a-distance, and how was it proved with simple maths? Can the measurement of a result affect the result itself? Is an electron a particle, a wave, or both?
NYU philosopher of science and author of The Metaphysics of Physics looks at the experiments of the early quantum physicists and the letters they exchanged, in order to provide a coherent and easy-to-understand history of quantum theory, and evaluate the many interpretations it has spawned.
By the end of the course, you will have learned:
- Why Einstein implored fellow scientists to ‘try to hold on to physical reality’
- Why you can never prove that physics is indeterministic
- What it means for something to be ‘quantized’
- What exactly the double slit experiment showed
- What Schrodinger’s Cat was meant to rule out
- How the many-worlds theory negates the concept of probability
As part of the course there are in-video quiz questions to consolidate your learning, suggested further readings to stimulate a deeper exploration of the topic, discussion boards to have your say and an end-of-course assessment set by Tim Maudlin.
IAI Academy courses are designed to be challenging but accessible to the interested student. No specialist knowledge is required.
About the Instructor
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Tim Maudlin
"No one looking at the vast extent of the universe and the completely random location of homo sapiens within it could seriously maintain it was intentionally created for us.”
One of the world's foremost philosophers of physics, Tim Maudlin is Professor of Philosophy at NYU and Founder and Director of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. He is a member of the "Foundational Questions Institute" of the Académie Internationale de Philosophie des Sciences and is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship.
The influence of Maudlin's research in the foundations of physics, metaphysics, and logic cannot be overstated. He has reinvigorated our understanding of quantum mechanics as pointing to the counterinutitive idea of non-locality, what Einstein called "spooky action at a distance."Maudlin is the author of The Metaphysics Within Physics, Truth and Paradox: Solving the Riddles and Quantum Non-Locality and Relativity and the recently published Philosophy of Physics: Quantum Theory and made his name studying the mysterious behaviour of entangled quantum particles. Maudlin warns that we should be wary of physical theories that contradict our direct impression of reality, especially when it comes to the nature of time.
Course Syllabus
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Part One: The Problem of Non-LocalityEinstein famously disputed some of quantum theory’s findings, claiming that God does not play dice with the universe. Here Maudlin reviews the arguments and ideas that have since stemmed from that debate.
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Part Two: Making Sense of Quantum TheoryHow can experiments not have a single unique outcome, such as Schrödinger’s cat ending up dead or alive? Hear Maudlin’s take on the “Measurement Problem” and what it really means.
Suggested Further Readings
At a popular level:
- What Is Real? By Adam Becker, which goes through the history of the theory.
- Quantum Reality by Nick Herbert, which covers many different conceptual aspects
Academic books about quantum theory:
- Quantum Mechanics and Experience by David Albert
- Philosophy of Physics: Quantum Theory by Tim Maudlin
At a more specialized level:
- Quantum Dialogue by Mara Beller goes through the history in more detail
- Foundations of Quantum Mechanics by Travis Norsen is a textbook written at the level of an undergraduate physics course.
