Big Week at Big Sur
Physics (30), Esalen (31), Chinese and English (32), Wu Li Masters (34), scientists and technicians (36), the sodium spectrum (37), Bohr’s model of the atom (39).
Einstein Doesn’t Like It
The new physics and the old physics (44), Newton’s physics (47), the Great Machine (48), do we create reality? (54), the myth of objectivity (55), subatomic “particles” (57), statistics (58), the kinetic theory of gases (58), probability (60), the Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics (62), pragmatism (63), split-brain analysis (64), summary of the new physics and the old physics (66).
Living?
Organic and inorganic (70), Max Planck (73), “discontinuous” (73), black-body radiation (75), Planck’s constant (76), Albert Einstein (77), Einstein’s theory of the photoelectric effect (77), waves, wavelengths, frequencies, and amplitudes (79), diffraction (82), Young’s double-slit experiment (85), the wave-particle duality (88), probability waves (90).
The procedure of quantum mechanics (91), the region of preparation (92), the region of measurement (92), the observed system (93), the observing system (93), the Schrödinger wave equation (93), observables (94), particles as “correlations” (94), wave functions (96), probability functions (97), quantum jumps (98), the Theory of Measurement (100), the metaphysics of quantum mechanics (103), the Many Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics (106), Schrödinger’s cat (108), Doubting Thomas (110).
The Role of “I”
The “in here—out there” illusion (115), complementarity (116), Compton scattering (116), Louis de Broglie (119), matter waves (119), Erwin Schrödinger (122), standing waves (122), the Pauli exclusion principle (125), the Schrödinger wave equation (again) (127), Max Born (128), probability waves (again) (128), the quantum model of the atom (129), Werner Heisenberg (131), the S Matrix (132), the Heisenberg uncertainty principle (133), the tables are turned (136).
Beginner’s Mind
Nonsense (140), the beginner’s mind (141), the special theory of relativity (143), the Galilean relativity principle (145), inertial co-ordinate systems (146), Galilean transformations (147), the constancy of the speed of light (149), the ether (151), the Michelson-Morley experiment (152), FitzGerald contractions (154), Lorentz transformations (155).
Special Nonsense
The special theory of relativity (156), “proper” and “relative” length and time (161), Terrell’s rotation explanation of relativistic contraction (164), relativistic mass increase (165), simultaneity (167), the space-time continuum (171), the space-time interval (172), Hermann Minkowski (176), mass-energy (176), conservation laws (178).
Gravity and acceleration (182), inside and outside the elevators (184), gravitational mass and inertial mass (187), the geography of the space-time continuum (189), Euclidean geometry (191), the revolving circles (193), non-Euclidean geometry (196), Einstein’s ultimate vision (199), Mercury’s perihelion (200), starlight deflection (201), gravitational redshift (203), Black Holes (204), the illusion of “force” (206), the illusion of “nonsense” (206).
The Particle Zoo
The barriers to change (210), the hall of mirrors (212), the new world view (212), particle physics (213), bubble chambers (214), the dance of creation and annihilation (215), what made the tracks? (216), quantum field theory (218), the need to pretend (220), particle masses (221), massless particles (223), charge (224), spin (225), angular momentum (226), quantum numbers (228), anti-particles (228).
The Dance
Space-time diagrams (230), Feynman diagrams (232), the dance of creation and annihilation (again) (233), anti-particles (again) (235), the illusion of time (237), entropy (239), virtual photons (240), the electromagnetic force (242), Hideki Yukawa (244), the strong force (244), virtual mesons (246), self-interactions (246), gravity (251), the weak force (251), virtual photons (again) (252), vacuum diagrams (257), conservation laws (259), symmetries (261), quarks (261), the S Matrix (again) (262).
More Than Both
Physics and enlightenment (270), Bell’s theorem and quantum logic (271), John von Neumann (272), the description of a wave function (272), “Projections as Propositions” (274), David Finkelstein (276), symbols and experience (276), logos and mythos (276), the distributive law (278), polarization of light (279), the third polarizer paradox (282), superpositions (284), quantum logic (286), “proof” (286), transition tables (288), lattices (290), von Neumann’s disproof of the distributive law (293), quantum topology (295).
The End of Science
Enlightenment and unity (297), J. S. Bell (298), quantum connectedness (298), the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen thought experiment (299), superluminal communication (303), the principle of local causes (304), Bell’s theorem (305), the Freedman-Clauser experiment (306), Jack Sarfatti (310), the theory of superluminal transfer of negentropy (310), the Aspect experiment (312), superluminal communication without signals (312), non-locality (314), contrafactual definiteness (317), superdeterminism (318), the Many Worlds Theory (again) (319), summary (320), the philosophy of quantum mechanics (322), David Bohm (323), unbroken wholeness (323), implicate order (324), the “new” thought instrument (325), eastern psychologies (326), the metaphor of physics (328), Kali (329), the Path without Form (330), the circle dance (331).