http://netvouz.com/mcswell/tag/philosophy?feed=rss mcswell's bookmarks tagged "philosophy" on Netvouz http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/politicsphilosophyandsociety/story/0,,1874069,00.html What is the purpose of existence? Is there an afterlife? Is there anyone else out there? It's not every day we confront the big questions about life, the universe and everything. But, seizing on our increased interest in this search for meaning, three of our finest thinkers - scientist Richard Dawkins, cosmologist Paul Davies and playwright Michael Frayn - are getting to grips with these existential dilemmas in their new books. Science > Simulation mcswell Wed, 20 Dec 2006 19:50:51 GMT http://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Universe-Mechanics-Participating-Collection/dp/3540724133/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product In his new book, Stapp insists that the "causal closure of the physical", in particular concerning quantum theory, is an untenable myth. He elaborates on ideas of Bohr, von Neumann, Heisenberg and, from a philosophical point of view, James and Whitehead to sketch a complex picture in which the physical and the mental are emphatically conditioned by each other. Stapp's wide-ranging proposal offers stimulating reading, a strong sense of conceptual coherence and intuitive appeal, and empirical predictions that deserve to be refined and tested. Miscellaneous > Books > Want List mcswell Mon, 29 Dec 2008 23:05:54 GMT http://www.amazon.com/Physics-Philosophy-Bernard-dEspagnat/dp/0691119643/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product This highly credentialed French physicist applies the disciplines of quantum field theory and philosophy to refute assumptions commonly held by scientists, philosophers, and lay people about what is "real," and to sort out such views as are consonant with experimental data. I take pleasure in D'Espangnat's clean writing, his dedication to accuracy, and his insistence on addressing the ground from which our concepts arise. Here D'Espagnat expands on his earlier work regarding "veiled reality." The book is accessible to lay intellectuals who like to savor ideas and reflect on them. Miscellaneous > Books > Want List mcswell Mon, 29 Dec 2008 23:19:00 GMT