PHIL 245: Philosophy of Science
The Metaphysics of the Quantum World
Description.
This course will be an elementary introduction to some foundational problems in
quantum mechanics. We will focus on the so-called 'measurement problem' (aka Schrodinger's cat paradox),
which has plagued quantum mechanics since the theory took its modern form in
1925. The problem is more or less that of specifying the right metaphysics
(broadly conceived) of the quantum world-hence the title of the course.
The last twenty years have witnessed the rise and development of several
competing ways of solving this problem. After going through some of the
classic works, we'll spend some time studying and assessing these different
solutions, e.g., Bohmian mechanics, spontaneous
localization, modern Everettian views. Each of
these solutions describes a strikingly different quantum world. Though
distinct measured along almost any dimension, these different quantum worlds do
have one feature in common: they are all startlingly weird, if not
preposterous. We'll spend time studying the curiosities associated with
each theory.
Along the way, we will meet what physicists recently voted the most beautiful
experiment of all time and also what is perhaps the most surprising feature of
quantum mechanics: the experimental vindication of its prediction of
action-at-a-distance or non-locality. Assuming there is time, we may also
discuss less orthodox questions such as 'how many spatial dimensions does
quantum mechanics say we live in?', 'what is quantum teleportation?', 'what
does quantum mechanics say about the nature of time?' and others. Many
topics in general philosophy of science will arise (e.g., realism, under-determination.)
as well as topics in the metaphysics of science (e.g., intrinsic versus
extrinsic properties.).
Accessibility.
The course will require no more technicality than the undergraduate philosophy
of physics course I teach, so any graduate student here should be able to take
it. Throughout I will assume you can follow the formalism developed in
chapter 2 of David Albert's Quantum Mechanics and Experience, plus
whatever little extra I do in the first meeting. What that means is that
you'll need to understand the very basic linear algebra introduced by Albert
(most of which is self-evident and which you learned tacitly as a fetus).
I can schedule an extra meeting with anyone struggling with this stuff (or ask Ioan or Sophia or Matt to help, as I'm sure they
would). That said, some of the articles we will
read use some very basic calculus, algebra, etc. You won't need to do any
calculus yourself, unless you want to, but if you don't like looking at papers
with the occasional derivative, integral and velocity in it-i.e.,
if you're a math-o-phobe-then the course may not be
for you.
Schedule.
Like a macroscopic superposition that might collapse at an unpredictable time,
the schedule of this class hangs delicately upon the fact that sometime during
the course--but we know not when--chaos will strike in the form of my wife
having a baby. Having had vast numbers of children, however, I'm used to
this and expect to have to re-schedule only one meeting.
I haven't fully planned the schedule, but the following might give an idea of
what we would cover:
1. Some
Startling Experiments and the Formalism Needed to Describe Them
2. The Measurement Problem: Schrodinger's Cat, Wigner's
Friend
3. The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox
4. The
5. The Many Worlds of
6. Spontaneous
Localization
7. Bohmian
Mechanics
7a. Advanced Bohmian
mechanics (optional extra mtg, for enthusiasts)
8. Realism,
under-determination, future experiments and QM
9. Non-locality;
10. Distilling metaphysics from
quantum theory
price. Otherwise all reading will be articles/chapters available in the
departmental library. If you haven't done any physics or natural science at
all, or since high school, or just did it but have a poor memory, I suggest
buying Giancarlo Ghirardi's Sneaking a Look at
God's Cards, 2004, which was just translated from the Italian and is
excellent. (Ghirardi is the father of week 6's
spontaneous localization program, so he knows his stuff.) If you read,
say, chapters 1-4 during the break, you would be in business come
term-time. In any case, I will expect everyone to have read Albert's
chapters 1 and 2 for the first meeting. If you already know about vectors
and such and want a really elegant presentation of the quantum formalism, I
highly recommend the first 4 chapters of R.I.G. Hughes The Structure and
Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics.
Grading.
I would suggest two different ways of getting a grade for this class-though
it's up to you which you would like to do.
but instead 10 small homework assignments based on the reading. This
strategy will at once force you to really learn the material but also keep you
safely away from disaster. It also means a near automatic complete for
the course.
If you have no familiarity with this material, then I suggest the