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Physics

At Evolution News: Can Physics Account for Our Whole Reality?

ourselves, corresponds with the thesis of intelligent design - that our reality is consistent with one in which an intelligent mind (with the attributes of God) not only caused the physical reality of our universe, but has intervened within it to bring about outcomes that would not have arisen without intervention. Read More ›

At Mind Matters News: Dartmouth physicist slams the Matrix idea that life is an aliens’ sim

Marcelo Gleiser dismisses the notion for physics reasons but he also objects to the way it casts doubt on free will, which we need to tackle our problems. Read More ›

At Mind Matters News: Why free will is philosophically and scientifically sound

Takehome: Neurosurgeon Michael Egnor points out that, though free will may be unpopular with atheist thinkers like biologist Darwinian evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne, science doesn’t refute it. Read More ›

Sabine Hossenfelder: The big problem with quantum theory is chaos

Hossenfelder: "... the chaotic motion of Hyperion tells us that we need the measurement collapse to actually be a physical process. Without it, quantum mechanics just doesn’t correctly describe our observations. But then what is this process? No one knows. And that’s the problem with quantum mechanics." Read More ›

Sabine Hossenfelder on the closest we have to a theory of everything

She argues that the principle of least action is the closest we have to a theory of everything but, of course, along comes quantum mechanics and… Quantum mechanics keeps the world interesting and reminds us that this is not a deterministic world after all. Read More ›

At Nautilus, a science writer muses on efforts to grapple with time — the universe’s odd dimension

Annaka Harris: "I think the flow of time is not part of the fundamental structure of reality,” theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli tells me. He is currently working on a theory of quantum gravity in which the variable of time plays no part." Read More ›

Researchers see one particle on two paths, say it shows quantum physics is right

Researchers: "A single neutron is measured at a specific position—and due to the sophisticated measurement setup, this single measurement proofs already that the particle moved along two different paths at the same time. It is even possible to determine the ratio in which the neutron was distributed between the two paths. Thus, the phenomenon of quantum superposition can be proven without having to resort to statistical arguments." Albert, check your mail. Read More ›

FOR REFERENCE: Globular Cluster M55 as illustrating apparent aging of our galaxy (& cosmos)

It seems helpful to illustrate cosmological scale apparent aging as stars depart main sequence: An idealised, Hertzsprung-Russell chart for Hydrogen-rich balls prone to become fusion furnaces is: Here is a comparative plot (for open clusters), constructing a “clock” by projected pattern as a cluster ages, in effect seeing what is left as a candle burns down: This can be taken as illustrative of how our cosmos shows entropy-associated aging on the grand scale. Further illustrative, here is a NASA-derived cosmological timeline model, integrated with fine tuning: Speaking of fine tuning, Barnes et al summarise: All of this ties to core thermodynamics: Food for thought. END