The Origin Of Spacetime Physics

This collection includes the papers that laid the foundations of spacetime physics: H. A. Lorentz, Michelson's Interference ExperimentH. A. Lorentz, Electromagnetic Phenomena in a System Moving with any Velocity Smaller than that of LightH. Poincaré, Sur la dynamique de l'électron (5 June 1905)H. Poincaré, Sur la dynamique de l'électron (23 July 1905)A. Einstein, On the Electrodynamics of Moving BodiesA. Einstein, Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon its Energy Content?H. Minkowski, Space and TimeA. Einstein, On the Influence of Gravitation on the Propagation of LightA. Einstein, The Foundation of the General Theory of RelativityA. Einstein, Cosmological Considerations on the General Theory of RelativityW. de Sitter, On the Curvature of SpaceA. A. Friedmann, On the Curvature of SpaceG. Lemaître, A Homogeneous Universe of Constant Mass and Increasing Radius Accounting for the Radial Velocity of Extra-Galactic Nebulae

The book presents seven fundamental concepts in spacetime physics mostly by following Hermann Minkowski’s revolutionary ideas summarized in his 1908 lecture "Space and Time." These concepts are: spacetime, inertial and accelerated motion in spacetime physics, the origin and nature of inertia in spacetime physics, relativistic mass, gravitation, gravitational waves, and black holes. They have been selected because they appear to be causing most misconceptions and confusion in spacetime physics. This second edition has been revised to include additional clarifications, more detailed elaboration of the arguments and also new material published in the interim.

This book provides an up-to-date overview of the foundations of spacetime physics. It features original essays written by world-class experts in the physics and philosophy of spacetime. The foundational questions regarding the origin and nature of spacetime are branching into new and exciting directions. These questions are not restricted to the quantum gravity program but also arise in the context of a well-established theory like general relativity. Against the background of these quick and diverse developments, this volume features a broad range of perspectives on spacetime. Part I focuses on the nature of spacetime in non-quantum theories, such as Newtonian mechanics and relativity. Part II explores some intriguing conceptual implications of developing a quantum theory of spacetime. The Foundations of Spacetime Physics is an essential resource for scholars and advanced students working in philosophy of physics, philosophy of science, and scientific metaphysics.

Provides the essential principles and results of special relativity as required by undergraduates. The text uses a geometric interpretation of space-time so that a general theory is seen as a natural extension of the special theory. Although most results are derived from first principles, complex and distracting mathematics is avoided and all mathe

Presenting the history of space-time physics, from Newton to Einstein, as a philosophical development DiSalle reflects our increasing understanding of the connections between ideas of space and time and our physical knowledge. He suggests that philosophy's greatest impact on physics has come about, less by the influence of philosophical hypotheses, than by the philosophical analysis of concepts of space, time and motion, and the roles they play in our assumptions about physical objects and physical measurements. This way of thinking leads to interpretations of the work of Newton and Einstein and the connections between them. It also offers ways of looking at old questions about a priori knowledge, the physical interpretation of mathematics, and the nature of conceptual change. Understanding Space-Time will interest readers in philosophy, history and philosophy of science, and physics, as well as readers interested in the relations between physics and philosophy.

This thoroughly up-to-date, highly accessible overview covers microgravity, collider accelerators, satellite probes, neutron detectors, radioastronomy, and pulsars.

The nature of space and time is one of the most fascinating and fundamental philosophical issues which presently engages at the deepest level with physics. During the last thirty years this notion has been object of an intense critical review in the light of new scientific theories which try to combine the principles of both general relativity and quantum theory—called theories of quantum gravity. This book considers the way string theory shapes its own account of spacetime disappearance from the fundamental level.

The book presents seven fundamental concepts in spacetime physics mostly by following Hermann Minkowski’s revolutionary ideas summarized in his 1908 lecture "Space and Time." These concepts are: spacetime, inertial and accelerated motion in spacetime physics, the origin and nature of inertia in spacetime physics, relativistic mass, gravitation, gravitational waves, and black holes. They have been selected because they appear to be causing most misconceptions and confusion in spacetime physics.