Symposium on philosophy and the empirical sciences 16:15Welcome Jaakko Hintikka: Natural philosophy in quantum theory and quantum theory in natural philosophy. Juha Himanka: On Edmund Husserl’s crisis of science. Avril Styrman: Relativity principle and absolute time. 17:50Coffee break 20 min Ari Lehto: Period doubling: Metaphysics or empiricism? Tuomo Suntola: Can the physical reality be described in an understandable way? Discussion of the theme of the day The Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy, – The House of Sciences, Helsinki

Can the physical reality be described in an understandable way? Tuomo Suntola The Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy,

From observations to a picture of reality and understanding of reality Mathematical description, model Observation Prediction Metaphysics, ontology Postulates definitions Understanding of reality ”Understanding” of observations The picture of reality Philosophy Physics Natural philosophy The Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy,

From observations to a picture and understanding of reality Mathematical description, model Observation Prediction Metaphysics, ontology Postulates definitions Understanding of reality ”Understanding” of observations The picture of reality Philosophy Physics -Time and space have appeared (at certain probability) from emptiness in an instant quantum jump. -Space expands at accelerating speed – the flow of time is a function of the local state of motion and gravitation. -Energy is expressed as mass and radiation. Structures and their probabilities are described in terms of wave functions. -Quantum interactions are intermediated by gauge bosons as force carriers. Theories shall be based on a few simple assumptions. Same assumptions apply in all subareas of natural sciences. What – Where – When ? ( kg – m – s ) The Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy,

The puzzle of postulates Cosmology Quantum mechanics Electromagnetism Maxwell’s equations: -Electromagnetic interactions -Electromagnetic radiation Conservation of electric charge -General relativity: Gravity as a property of space-time - Cosmological principle -Reciprocity principle -K-correction -Planck equation as an intrinsic property of radiation -”Hubble flow” -Dark matter, dark energy -Inflation hypothesis -Gravitational radiation -Planck equation -Wavefunction -Schrödinger equation -Uncertainty principle -Wave-particle dualism -Dirac equation Special relativity Classical mechanics Motion Matter Space -Force as basic quantity -Mass as the measure of inertia -The laws of motion -Galilean relativity -Newton’s law of gravitation -Equivalence principle -Absolute time General relativity -Relativity principle -Equivalence principle -Length contraction, time dilation -Constancy of the velocity of light -Mass as an expression of energy -Mass as a function of velocity The Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy,

The tree of the natural sciences Thales ”Everything in space is united”. The most exact of the sciences are those which deal most with first principles. Changes are driven by entelecheia, the actualization of potentiality. Aristotle ” The total amount of force (energy) in the world is conserved both locally and globally - there is always as much force (energy) in a cause as in its effect.” Local is a mirror of the universe (monadology). Gottfried Leibniz ”The laws of nature are the same in all systems in rectilinear motion. Galileo Galilei Electromagnetism can be described as interplay of potential energy and the energy of motion. James Maxwell The laws of motion, the balance of forces – deterministic, linear reality Isaac Newton The theory of relativity, FLRW cosmology Albert Einstein... sphere is the most perfect form, needing no joint and being a complete whole,... best suited to enclose and retain all things and parts of the universe like the sun, moon and stars … Nicolaus Copernicus Planck equation, a quantum of action Max Planck The Dynamic Universe: Relativity appears as a consequence of the conservation of total energy in space, quantum states are energy minima of the energy states of resonant mass wave structures. The characteristic frequency of atomic oscillators is determined by the energy state. Time and distance are universal coordinate quantities where motion and gravitation are in a dynamic balance A holistic description of space, space as the 3-surface of a 4-sphere, Matter wave, wave function, inderterminism de Broglie Schrödinger Planck’s equation is derived from dipole emission >> the energies of EM- and mass- waves can be expressed in unified forms. What – where – when? The Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy,

Is time distorted or is the clock frequency changed? (Planck’s equation Maxwell’s equations) Relativity theory: Dynamic Universe: Im Re Im Re Im The Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy,

Force and acceleration (rectilinear motion) When the Lorentz-transformation and the constancy of the velocity of light are postulated, the mass of a moving object is increased: Newton’s second law defines mass as the ratio between force and acceleration: Local rest mass m 0 The 4-velocity of space When the conservation of total energy is postulated, the locally available rest energy is a function of the local energy state; the increase of the mass in motion comes from the energy input needed to achieve the state of motion: The Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy,

Force and acceleration (rectilinear motion) When the effects of the parent frames on the local velocity of light and the rest mass are omitted, the SR equation results: When also the import of extra mass needed in obtaining the motion is omitted, the Newtonian equation of motion results: The 4-velocity of space The equation of motion as derived from the total energy in space: Local rest mass m 0 The Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy,

If the relativity principle is postulated the velocity of light and the rest mass are constants - and the coordinate quantities, time and distance become functions of the gravitational state and the velocity of the object. If the conservation of the total energy is postulated, the coordinate quantities, time and distance, are constants – and the velocity of light and the locally available rest mass become functions of the gravitational state and the velocity of the object. The alternatives The Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy,

Can the physical reality be described in an understandable way? Yes it can, but only via merging of philosophy and the empirical sciences. The Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy,