Overview
- A unique look at the surprisingly many philosophical questions pertinent to condensed matter physics
- Tackles the key issues of reduction, emergence and reversibility as they relate to various condensed matter phenomena
- Written by experts from both physics and philosophy
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Part of the book series: The Frontiers Collection (FRONTCOLL)
Buy print copy
About this book
The physics of condensed matter, in contrast to quantum physics or cosmology, is not traditionally associated with deep philosophical questions. However, as science - largely thanks to more powerful computers - becomes capable of analysing and modelling ever more complex many-body systems, basic questions of philosophical relevance arise. Questions about the emergence of structure, the nature of cooperative behaviour, the implications of the second law, the quantum-classical transition and many other issues. This book is a collection of essays by leading physicists and philosophers. Each investigates one or more of these issues, making use of examples from modern condensed matter research. Physicists and philosophers alike will find surprising and stimulating ideas in these pages.
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
Table of contents (13 chapters)
-
Front Matter
-
Reduction
-
Front Matter
-
-
Back Matter
Editors and Affiliations
About the editors
Prof. Brigitte Falkenburg
TU Dortmund, Germany
Prof. Margaret Morrison
University of Toronto, Canada.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Why More Is Different
Book Subtitle: Philosophical Issues in Condensed Matter Physics and Complex Systems
Editors: Brigitte Falkenburg, Margaret Morrison
Series Title: The Frontiers Collection
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-43911-1
Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg
eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-662-43910-4Published: 24 March 2015
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-662-52309-4Published: 09 October 2016
eBook ISBN: 978-3-662-43911-1Published: 26 February 2015
Series ISSN: 1612-3018
Series E-ISSN: 2197-6619
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: X, 280
Number of Illustrations: 21 b/w illustrations
Topics: Condensed Matter Physics, Philosophy of Science, History and Philosophical Foundations of Physics, Complex Systems, Statistical Physics and Dynamical Systems