Could 'counterfactuals' solve the biggest problems in physics?
Instant Genius
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What Are Counterfactuals in Physics?
Most of the fundamental laws of physics that we currently have are phrased in terms of factual statements about what happens to objects when you set them in motion. But there are other things you can say about the physical situation that are also important in physics. And for example thermodynamics is an example of a traditional field of physics where these other statements are central. These other statements are the things I call counterfactuals. They are statements about what can or cannot be made to happen on a given object. So in that sense, these counterfactual's are deeper and more general than laws of motion.
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