Why Did We Really Abandon the Aether? - Dr. Adam Forrest Kay, DemystifySci #333
The DemystifySci Podcast
Intro
In this chapter, the hosts dive into the intriguing world of quantum mechanics, discussing its profound impact on our understanding of reality. They also introduce a guest author who explores the evolution of atomic theory from a physical to a mathematical perspective.
Adam Forrest Kay is the author of Escape From Shadow Physics, a rip-roaring tour through the history of physics that suggests the quantum world might be a lot less legible than anyone realizes. Much of his work is informed by the logic of Hydrodynamic Quantum Analogs, which are classical systems whose behavior can be described by same mathematics that’s used for quantum mechanics. Kay makes the case that if a classical system, made of materials and substances, can be described by the same statistical mathematics, that it’s possible the quantum intuition that reality dissolves into a sea of probabilities and wave functions is just straight up wrong. We explore how the mechanics of droplets bouncing on surfaces recapitulates the mathematics of quantum mechanics, what it means for a classical system to behave like a quantum one, how pilot wave theory fits into the story, and why this isn’t front page news for every science magazine in the world.
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(00:00) Go!
(00:06:20) Adam Kay's Journey
(00:10:17) The Complexity of Innovation
(00:12:26) Hydrodynamic Quantum Analogies
(00:20:20) Philosophy and Positivism in Physics
(00:23:21) Skepticism in Physics
(00:24:35) Transition in Scientific Thought
(00:26:10) Positivism and Knowledge
(00:28:40) Auguste Comte's Positivism and its Paradoxes
(00:34:50) Historical Context from Philosophy to Physics
(00:41:10) The Clash in Intellectual Circles
(00:46:00) Continued Influence of Early Physicists
(00:47:02) Historical Scientific Perspectives
(00:49:07) The Philosophy of Science and Positivism
(00:51:50) Einstein’s Influence on Physical Theories
(00:56:05) Einstein vs. Quantum Mechanics
(01:00:02) Parallels Between Thermodynamics and Quantum Mechanics
(01:07:00) Reevaluating Physical Paradigms
(01:12:07) Evolution of Physical Theories
(01:14:09) Modern Reflections and Quantum Theory
(01:18:07) Book Review and Chapter Structure
(01:19:04) Introduction to Pilot Wave Theory
(01:25:35) Hydrodynamic Quantum Analogies
(01:35:08) Interpretation of Positive Atomism
(01:36:46) Uncertainty Principle and Quantum Mechanics
(01:39:28) Sound, Sampling, and Uncertainty in Physics
(01:44:41) The Role of Fourier Analysis in Various Domains
(01:49:10) Quantum Mechanics and Reality's Mystical Interpretation
(01:54:09) Physics and Its Intellectual Dominance
(01:58:55) Intersection of Physics and Metaphysics
(02:01:10) Mysticism in Physics
(02:05:27) The Sokal Hoax and Scientific Discourse
(02:09:10) Importance of Diverse Viewpoints
(02:14:23) Writing and Future Endeavors
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ABOUS US: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities.
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