archive

Issues in the metaphysics of science

From Studia Philosophica Estonica, a special issue on practical realist account of science. It may have been awhile since you wondered, what exactly is a second? But think about it now and the question will nag at you. Are there parallel universes? The answer is "possibly". Stephen Mumford is cool, calm and collected as he broods on the big issues in the metaphysics of science. Is scientific truth always beautiful? David Orrell says the quest for elegance leads too many researchers astray. According to Max Tegmark, it’s not enough to say that math governs our universe; rather, he believes that reality itself is a mathematical structure. Philosophy under attack: Patrick Stokes on Lawrence Krauss and the new denialism. An “embarrassment” to science: Brad Plumer on a simple breakdown of why physicists still can't agree on how to interpret quantum mechanics — and why it matters. What is the purpose of the Universe? Here is one possible answer.