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The philosophy of cosmology / edited by Khalil Chamcham, University of Oxford, Joseph Silk, University of Oxford, John D. Barrow, University of Cambridge, Simon Saunders, University of Oxford

Published:
Cambridge, United Kingdom : Cambridge University Press, 2017.
Physical Description:
1 online resource (528 pages)
Additional Creators:
Chamcham, Khalil, Silk, Joseph, 1942-, Barrow, John D., 1952-, and Saunders, Simon
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Contents:
Machine generated contents note: pt. I Issues in the Philosophy of Cosmology -- 1.The Domain of Cosmology and the Testing of Cosmological Theories / George F. R. Ellis -- 2.Black Holes, Cosmology and the Passage of Time: Three Problems at the Limits of Science / Bernard Carr -- 3.Moving Boundaries? -- Comments on the Relationship Between Philosophy and Cosmology / Claus Beisbart -- 4.On the Question Why There Exists Something Rather Than Nothing / Roderick Tumulka -- pt. II Structures in the Universe and the Structure of Modern Cosmology -- 5.Some Generalities About Generality / John D. Barrow -- 6.Emergent Structures of Effective Field Theories / Jean-Philippe Uzan -- 7.Cosmological Structure Formation / Joel R. Primack -- 8.Formation of Galaxies / Joseph Silk -- pt. III Foundations of Cosmology: Gravity and the Quantum -- 9.The Observer Strikes Back / Thomas Hertog -- 10.Testing Inflation / Chris Smeenk -- 11.Why Boltzmann Brains do not Fluctuate into Existence from the de Sitter Vacuum / Jason Pollack -- 12.Holographic Inflation Revised / Tom Banks -- 13.Progress and Gravity: Overcoming Divisions Between General Relativity and Particle Physics and Between Physics and HPS / J. Brian Pitts -- pt. IV Quantum Foundations and Quantum Gravity -- 14.Is Time's Arrow Perspectival? / Carlo Rovelli -- 15.Relational Quantum Cosmology / Francesca Vidotto -- 16.Cosmological Ontology and Epistemology / Don N. Page -- 17.Quantum Origin of Cosmological Structure and Dynamical Reduction Theories / Daniel Sudarsky -- 18.Towards a Novel Approach to Semi-Classical Gravity / Ward Struyve -- pt. V Methodological and Philosophical Issues -- 19.Limits of Time in Cosmology / Henrik Zinkernagel -- 20.Self-Locating Priors and Cosmological Measures / Frank Arntzenius -- 21.On Probability and Cosmology: Inference Beyond Data? / Martin Sahlen -- 22.Testing the Multiverse: Bayes, Fine-Tuning and Typicality / Luke A. Barnes -- 23.A New Perspective on Einstein's Philosophy of Cosmology / Cormac O'Raifeartaigh -- 24.The Nature of the Past Hypothesis / David Wallace -- 25.Big and Small / David Z. Albert.
Summary:
Following a long-term international collaboration between leaders in cosmology and the philosophy of science, this volume addresses foundational questions at the limit of science across these disciplines, questions raised by observational and theoretical progress in modern cosmology. Space missions have mapped the Universe up to its early instants, opening up questions on what came before the Big Bang, the nature of space and time, and the quantum origin of the Universe. As the foundational volume of an emerging academic discipline, experts from relevant fields lay out the fundamental problems of contemporary cosmology and explore the routes toward finding possible solutions. Written for graduates and researchers in physics and philosophy, particular efforts are made to inform academics from other fields, as well as the educated public, who wish to understand our modern vision of the Universe, related philosophical questions, and the significant impacts on scientific methodology.
Subject(s):
ISBN:
9781316535783 (electronic book)
1316535789 (electronic book)
View MARC record | catkey: 20514761