An award-winning teacher and philosopher makes sense of our strange universe.
The Great Questions of Philosophy and Physics
An award-winning teacher and philosopher makes sense of our strange universe.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Jersey Jeff from
Excellent, informative and fun
Steve Gimbel covers the subject well and has an impressive knowledge of the physics he addresses and certainly the philosophy. From shifting reference with the first unified theory of the universe (Newton) to quantum physics and what it is we actually know, what does it mean to know, to Karl Popper and falsifiability. And as always Steve is interesting, engaging and funny! Check out his other courses.
Date published: 2024-12-09
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Thanuja from
Excellent course!
This is an excellent course introducing the intersection of Physics and Philosophy. This is not an easy course to follow admittingly and professor has done excellent work to make this subject matter accessible to non-academics.
This is a must-take course for science students, philosophy students and science history buffs alike. Thanks TGC to produce this valuable course!
Date published: 2024-11-30
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Leigh 1 from
Great fun
I really enjoyed this! I had to space it out a bit to fit into my life (no pun intended), but found myself smiling as I watched, thinking about it when I wasn't, and all-in-all just enjoying it.
Date published: 2024-10-06
Rated 5 out of
5
by
DaGeek from
Such a good teacher
This gentleman is everything I want in a teacher from Great Courses. He is extremely knowledge with a very entertaining presentation style… that makes you think.
I have a BS in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. I will have to admit to taking Physics for Dummies in college, that is to say non-calculus based physics. Just as an aside that professor must of have been bored with teaching the class as every once in a while he would go off on a tangent and start scribbling on the blackboard saying this is how you do in the calculus. Only one fellow in class was taking calculus concurrently, for the rest of us, Trig was our highest math. None the less I still found physics fascinating. While it will have helped for this course to have had some of the physics, it is not necessary. Professor Gimbel does an excellent job of explaining the science
Concentrating on my degree I never took any philosophy in college, but I have become very interested in the subject the last 15 years or so.
This course is a perfect blend of the two subjects. The professor details how physics evolved from philosophy into its own science, and how physics, at its cutting edges, has re-embraced philosophy.
If for no other reason this was an excellent course as it details the history, the evolution of a branch of human knowledge and the intellectual struggles that it took. If I were to have a religion it would be science as at its heart it is a self correcting system… given enough time.
If you have an interest in either subject, I would highly recommend this course.
Date published: 2024-09-23
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Nuggs from
Very comprohensive
Excellent course- covers at lot of ground-puts you well in the picture.
Date published: 2024-09-10
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Nestor from
A Few Speed Bumps but Still Gimbel
First of all, let's put aside these occasional comments about the "Dad" humor. If you prefer a presenter whose delivery is akin to Death Valley, please go elsewhere. Steven Gimbel is a gifted and engaged lecturer. Here, he has taken on a challenge that I find difficult to meet entirely. If the student wants both the philosophy and the physics to entail an equally deep dive, this course meets that expectation. However, in the process, one runs the risk of asking for cream and finding milk and water. Interestingly, I found the philosophical piece of the course a rougher ride than the physics. Attempting to marry the two, although I am aware it is an accepted discipline, is (for me, anyway) a bit forced, especially within the constraints of twelve lectures. Nonetheless, I was generally pleased to follow along, as Professor Gimbel has the "chops" to carry it off with little apparent effort and with obvious great joy. I personally find his treatment of physics elsewhere to be a more enriching ride, but his weaving the philosophical heroes into the story, not least the logical positivists, is still welcome. In the end, enjoy his approach. You pass on Professor Gimbel at your peril.
Date published: 2024-03-27
Rated 4 out of
5
by
london2000 from
An interesting course
I have a love-hate relationship with philosophy. On the one hand, I love thinking about these deep topics, especially how they relate to nature of reality, quantum weirdness, the origins of the universe, the possibility of other universes, the basis of human consciousness, etc. On the other hand, I hate how philosophy, by its very essence, provides no definitive answers. For every question there are always several schools of philosophical thought, and at least two of them will have diametrically opposed viewpoints. This was borne out in this course presented by Steven Gimbel. He is knowledgeable about both physics and philosophy and was able to discuss and summarise some aspects of physics that currently defy science but which occupy the minds of philosophers and scientists. I enjoyed his style of presentation, which involved some humour, admittedly on the 'dad joke' level.
However, he was not able to convince me that pure philosophy serves much purpose other than speculative thinking, which scientists do anyway. As the Nobel prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman said, "Philosophy of science is about as useful to scientists as ornithology is to birds". To my mind, the answers to the big questions will come from the work of scientists, not through the deliberations of philosophers.
Date published: 2023-12-30
Rated 5 out of
5
by
drgramah from
The Great Questions of Philosophy and Physics
Steven Gimbal's (PhD) construction, content and presentation of this course is exemplary. Discussion of these big and complex questions were presented in a manner which was readily understood. Moreover, it has created an appetite to understand more about the quantum world.. Thank you Dr Gimbal.
Date published: 2023-05-15
Overview
About
Professor Steven Gimbel holds the Edwin T. Johnson and Cynthia Shearer Johnson Distinguished Teaching Chair in the Humanities at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, where he also serves as Chair of the Philosophy Department. He received his bachelor's degree in Physics and Philosophy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and his doctoral degree in Philosophy from the Johns Hopkins University, where he wrote his dissertation on interpretations and the philosophical ramifications of relativity theory. At Gettysburg, he has been honored with the Luther W. and Bernice L. Thompson Distinguished Teaching Award. Professor Gimbel's research focuses on the philosophy of science, particularly the nature of scientific reasoning and the ways that science and culture interact. He has published many scholarly articles and four books, including Einstein's Jewish Science: Physics at the Intersection of Politics and Religion; and Einstein: His Space and Times. His books have been highly praised in periodicals such as The New York Review of Books, Physics Today, and The New York Times, which applauded his skill as "an engaging writer...[taking] readers on enlightening excursions...wherever his curiosity leads."
Trailer
01: Does Physics Make Philosophy Superfluous?
Trace the growth of physics from philosophy, as questions about the nature of reality got rigorous answers starting in the Scientific Revolution. Then see how the philosophy of physics was energized by a movement called logical positivism in the early 20th century in response to Einstein’s theory of relativity. Though logical positivism failed, it spurred new philosophical ideas and approaches.
30 min
02: Why Mathematics Works So Well with Physics
Physics is a mathematical science. But why should manipulating numbers give insight into how the world works? This question was famously posed by physicist Eugene Wigner in his 1960 paper, “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences.” Explore proposed answers, including Max Tegmark’s assertion that the world is, in fact, a mathematical system.
35 min
03: Can Physics Explain Reality?
If the point of physics is to explain reality, then what counts as an explanation? Starting here, Professor Gimbel goes deeper to probe what makes some explanations scientific and whether physics actually explains anything. Along the way, he explores Bertrand Russell’s rejection of the notion of cause, Carl Hempel’s account of explanation, and Nancy Cartwright’s skepticism about scientific truth.
35 min
04: The Reality of Einstein’s Space
What’s left when you take all the matter and energy out of space? Either something or nothing. Newton believed the former; his rival, Leibniz, believed the latter. Assess arguments for both views, and then see how Einstein was influenced by Leibniz’s relational picture of space to invent his special theory of relativity. Einstein’s further work on relativity led him to a startlingly new conception of space.
33 min
05: The Nature of Einstein’s Time
Consider the weirdness of time: The laws of physics are time reversable, but we never see time running backwards. Theorists have proposed that the direction of time is connected to the order of the early universe and even that time is an illusion. See how Einstein deepened the mystery with his theory of relativity, which predicts time dilation and the surprising possibility of time travel.
29 min
06: The Beginning of Time
Professor Gimbel continues his exploration of time by winding back the clock. Was there a beginning to time? Einstein’s initial equations of general relativity predicted a dynamic universe, one that might have expanded from an initial moment. Einstein discarded this idea, but since then evidence has mounted for a “Big Bang.” Is it sensible to ask what caused the Big Bang and what happened before?
27 min
07: Are Atoms Real?
Compare proof for the reality of atoms with evidence for the existence of Santa Claus. Both are problematic hypotheses! Trace the history of atomic theory and the philosophical resistance to it. End with Bas van Fraassen’s idea of “constructive empiricism,” which holds that successful theories ought only to be empirically adequate since we can never know with certainty what is real.
31 min
08: Quantum States: Neither True nor False?
Enter the quantum world, where traditional philosophical logic breaks down. First, explore the roots of quantum theory and how scientists gradually uncovered its surpassing strangeness. Clear up the meaning of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, which is a metaphysical claim, not an epistemological one. Finally, delve into John von Neumann’s revolutionary quantum logic, working out an example.
29 min
09: Waves, Particles, and Quantum Entanglement
Quantum mechanics rests on an apparent category mistake: Light can’t be both a wave and a particle, yet that’s what theory and experiments show. Analyze this puzzle from the realist and empiricist points of view. Then explore philosopher Arthur Fine’s “natural ontological attitude,” which reconciles realism and antirealism by demonstrating how they rely on different conceptions of truth.
30 min
10: Wanted Dead and Alive: Schrödinger's Cat
The most famous paradox of quantum theory is the thought experiment showing that a cat under certain experimental conditions must be both dead and alive. Explore four proposed solutions to this conundrum, known as the measurement problem: the hidden-variable view, the Copenhagen interpretation, the idea that the human mind “collapses” a quantum state, and the many-worlds interpretation.
29 min
11: The Dream of Grand Unification
After the dust settled from the quantum revolution, physics was left with two fundamental theories: the standard model of particle physics for quantum phenomena and general relativity for gravitational interactions. Follow the quest for a grand unified theory that incorporates both. Armed with Karl Popper’s demarcation criteria, see how unifying ideas such as string theory fall short.
31 min
12: The Physics of God
The laws of physics have been invoked on both sides of the debate over the existence of God. Professor Gimbel closes the course by tracing the history of this dispute, from Newton’s belief in a Creator to today’s discussion of the “fine-tuning” of nature’s constants and whether God is responsible. Such big questions in physics inevitably bring us back to the roots of physics: philosophy.
29 min
