When
one looks back over the development of physics, one sees that it can be
pictured as a rather steady development with many small steps and superposed
on that a number of big jumps. These big jumps usually consist in overcoming
a prejudice...And then a physicist has to replace this prejudice by something
more precise, and leading to some entirely new conception of nature. (Paul
Dirac, Quantum Theory)
This statistical interpretation is now universally accepted
as the best possible interpretation for quantum mechanics (quantum theory),
even though many people are unhappy with it. People had got used to the
determinism of the last century, where the present determines the future
completely, and they now have to get used to a different situation in which
the present only gives one information of a statistical nature about the
future.
A good many people find this unpleasant; Einstein has always objected to
it. The way he expressed it was: "The good God does not play with dice".
Schrodinger also did not like the statistical interpretation and tried for
many years to find an interpretation involving determinism for his waves.
But
it was not successful as a general method.
I must say that I also do not like indeterminism. I have to accept it because
it is certainly the best that we can do with our present knowledge. One
can always hope that there will be future developments which will lead to
a drastically different theory from the present quantum mechanical theory
and for which there may be a partial return of determinism. However, so
long as one keeps to the present formalism, one has to have this indeterminism.
(P.A.M. Dirac, on Quantum Theory, "The Development
Of Quantum Mechanics" Conferenza Tenuta il 14 Aprile 1972, in Roma,
Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, 1974)
It
seems that if one is working from the point of view of getting beauty in
one's equations, and if one has really a sound insight, one is on a sure
line of progress. If there is not complete agreement between the results
of one's work and experiment, one should not allow oneself to be too discouraged,
because the discrepancy may well be due to minor features that are not properly
taken into account and that will get cleared up with further development
of the theory. (Paul Dirac, Scientific American, May 1963)
I must say that I am very dissatisfied with the situation, because this so called good theory does involve neglecting infinities which appear in its equations, neglecting them in an arbitrary way. This is just not sensible mathematics. Sensible mathematics involves neglecting a quantity when it turns out to be small - not neglecting it just because it is infinitely great and you do not want it! (Paul Dirac, On Quantum Mechanics and Mathematics, 1937)
"Physical knowledge has advanced much since 1905, notably
by the arrival of quantum mechanics, and the situation [about the scientific
plausibility of aether] has again changed. If one examines the question
in the light of present-day knowledge, one finds that the aether is no longer
ruled out by relativity, and good reasons can now be advanced for postulating
an aether. . . . We can now see that we may very well have an aether,
subject to quantum mechanics and conformable to relativity, provided we
are willing to consider a
perfect vacuum as an idealized state, not attainable in practice. From the
experimental point of view there does not seem to be any objection to this.
We must make some profound alterations to the theoretical idea of the vacuum.
. . . Thus, with the new theory of electrodynamics we are rather forced
to have an aether"
(Dirac, Nature, 1951, vol. 168, pp. 906-907)
"Just because the results happen to be in agreement
with observation does not prove that one's theory is correct" (Dirac
1987, p. 196).
Art and science have their meeting point in method. (Paul
Dirac)
God used beautiful mathematics in creating the world. (Paul Dirac)
In science one tries to tell people, in such a way as to be understood by
everyone, something that no one ever knew before. But in poetry, it's the
exact opposite. (Paul Dirac)
The fundamental laws necessary for the mathematical treatment of a large
part of physics and the whole of chemistry are thus completely known, and
the difficulty lies only in the fact that application of these laws leads
to equations that are too complex to be solved. (Paul Dirac)
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Paul_Dirac
"When
forced to summarize the general theory of relativity in one sentence: Time
and space and gravitation have no separate existence from matter. ... Physical
objects are not in space, but these objects are spatially extended.
In this way the concept 'empty space' loses its meaning. ... The particle
can only appear as a limited region in space in which the field strength
or the energy density are particularly high. ...
The free, unhampered exchange of ideas and scientific conclusions
is necessary for the sound development of science, as it is in all spheres
of cultural life. ... We must not conceal from ourselves that no
improvement in the present depressing situation is possible without a severe
struggle; for the handful of those who are really determined to do something
is minute in comparison with the mass of the lukewarm and the misguided.
...
Humanity is going to need a substantially new way of thinking if
it is to survive!" (Albert Einstein)
Our world is in great trouble due to human behaviour
founded on myths and customs that are causing the destruction
of Nature and climate
change. We can now deduce
the most simple science theory of reality - the wave structure of matter
in space. By understanding how we and everything around us are interconnected
in Space we can then deduce solutions to the fundamental problems of
human knowledge in physics,
philosophy, metaphysics,
theology,
education,
health, evolution
and ecology, politics
and society.
This is the profound new way of thinking that Einstein
realised, that we exist as spatially extended structures of the universe
- the discrete and separate body an illusion. This simply confirms the intuitions
of the ancient
philosophers and mystics.
Given the current censorship
in physics / philosophy of science journals (based on the standard
model of particle physics / big
bang cosmology) the internet is the best hope for getting new knowledge
known to the world. But that depends on you, the people who care about science
and society, realise the importance of truth and reality.
It is easy to help - just click on the social network sites (below) or grab
a nice image / quote you like and add it to your favourite blog,
wiki or forum. We are listed as one of the top
philosophy sites on the Internet (300,000 page views / week) and have
a wonderful collection of knowledge from the greatest minds in human history,
so people will appreciate your contributions. Thanks! Geoff
Haselhurst - Karene
Howie - Email
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