tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post3606454674997750531..comments2023-09-27T07:44:19.769-04:00Comments on Sabine Hossenfelder: Backreaction: A Peek Inside the Perimeter InstituteSabine Hossenfelderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-30460223564379211202011-02-15T07:29:27.418-05:002011-02-15T07:29:27.418-05:00Hi Robert & Bee,
From my own perspective “fre...Hi Robert & Bee,<br /><br />From my own perspective “free will” is a concept only assignable to consciousness, while irrelevant in any other respect. That is nature doesn’t recognize paths or options, it only executes, as having consciousness alone as able to recognize alternatives. When it comes to causation and determination there is a distinction to be drawn between outcomes absent of Phil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-63415335733702309272011-02-14T02:47:23.956-05:002011-02-14T02:47:23.956-05:00Hi Robert,
Yes, it requires definitions of termin...Hi Robert,<br /><br />Yes, it requires definitions of terminology before one can make statements. What I mean with determinism is that there's a one-to-one map from states at time t_1 to t_2 for all t_1 and t_2. What I mean with free will on a fundamental level is that at some time t_1 what you will be doing in the future at t_2 is not inevitably fixed already (so you can 'freely' Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-36425398159293642292011-02-13T22:28:09.291-05:002011-02-13T22:28:09.291-05:00Yes, I know Phil, and Aristotle's Lyceum as we...Yes, I know Phil, and Aristotle's Lyceum as well. Unfortunately, all kinds of bad history went down between them and the age of Humanism (The European Renaissance, 1400's and 1500's), and then thanks to the Borgias screwing up Europe to the point that Lutherism and Calvinism launched and thus the whole embarrassing Catholic/Protestant stupid beatshit wars rendered the 1600's Steven Colyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10435759210177642257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-15001740185782558402011-02-13T19:45:57.488-05:002011-02-13T19:45:57.488-05:00Hi Steven,
As far as I know the oldest of them al...Hi Steven,<br /><br />As far as I know the oldest of them all was The Academy, that is the one started by Plato in 387 BC in Athens, with Aristotle as one of his first graduate students:-) Unfortunately the Romans destroyed it in 83 B.C. with no permanent replacement until 410 AD. However this also finally closed under the order of Emperor Justinian in 529 AD as there being room for only one Phil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-50992751232721014532011-02-13T19:09:23.454-05:002011-02-13T19:09:23.454-05:00Ah so, since no one has answered my question of wh...Ah so, since no one has answered my question of which of these Institutes came first, I answer my own question from an unexpected place, that being Euler's Gem" by Dave Richeson, to whit:<br /><br />1660 - The Royal Society of London<br />also 1660 - The Academie des Sciences in Paris<br /><br />1700- The Berlin Academy of Sciences (on the advice of Leibniz)<br /><br />1725 - The RussianSteven Colyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10435759210177642257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-70905954449888666652011-02-13T19:07:27.340-05:002011-02-13T19:07:27.340-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Steven Colyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10435759210177642257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-27903085816207810932011-02-13T14:13:07.570-05:002011-02-13T14:13:07.570-05:00Bee and Robert,
I think one could apply the fact ...Bee and Robert,<br /><br />I think one could apply the fact that self organization of discete structures into complex cooperating organisms a kind of determinism. It seems to happen at every level of structure without the individual entities making an "effort".<br />These overall structures are a web of interdependencies between the "cooperating" entities.<br /><br />If one Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08213251864943443334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-62985773091508020962011-02-13T13:47:00.524-05:002011-02-13T13:47:00.524-05:00Hi Bee,
I get the feeling that we agree on these ...Hi Bee,<br /><br />I get the feeling that we agree on these issues far more than we disagree.<br /><br />My main concern is that concepts like "free will" and "determinism" come with a lot of baggage attached.<br /><br />Therefore meaningful discussions of these topics require a careful definition of terms.<br /><br />Personally, I think the traditional concept of unrestrictedRobert L. Oldershawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15396555790655312393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-70646991704604736392011-02-13T05:14:18.105-05:002011-02-13T05:14:18.105-05:00Hi Robert,
Free will and determinism are fundamen...Hi Robert,<br /><br />Free will and determinism are fundamentally incompatible. Without free will, moral is a farce. In case that's what you mean. I suppose you're referring to either my recent comment at CV or at NEW. Yes, an organism can change its behavior, but that change is also determined. And that it's determined isn't the same as it being predictable. I'm saying they Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-67840421540207125242011-02-12T23:14:27.118-05:002011-02-12T23:14:27.118-05:00Absolute determinism is one [very naive] thing.
T...Absolute determinism is one [very naive] thing.<br /><br />The determinism of nonlinear dynamical systems is quite another.<br /><br />In the latter, what happens next is causally determined via an infinite tapestry of causal "chains", but not fully [often not even minimally] predictable.<br /><br />Also, via trial/error/learning feedback loops an organism can change it's behavior, Robert L. Oldershawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15396555790655312393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-65435600310354139682011-02-12T04:37:21.340-05:002011-02-12T04:37:21.340-05:00Hi Igor,
Thanks, fixed that typo. Hier kommt Alex...Hi Igor,<br /><br />Thanks, fixed that typo. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV54t7ZmxjM" rel="nofollow">Hier kommt Alex!</a> ;-) Best,<br /><br />B.Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-19518319695376694742011-02-11T16:29:04.085-05:002011-02-11T16:29:04.085-05:00Hi Bee,
You are right that we would like to know b...Hi Bee,<br />You are right that we would like to know better what the quantum vacuum is actually comprised of. But I don't think that has ever stopped physics from prognosticating in spite of that through its interaction with experiment.<br /><br />I don't want to monopolize your time or energy but I do think that the double slit experiment shows evidence of frame dragging. This shows up Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08213251864943443334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-31091086294787439552011-02-11T05:03:05.928-05:002011-02-11T05:03:05.928-05:00Hi Eric,
Well, yes, frame dragging in GR is a vio...Hi Eric,<br /><br />Well, yes, frame dragging in GR is a violation of Lorenz-invariance, but of global Lorentz-invariance, not local one (no frame dragging in empty space). If you want more or other sorts of frame dragging, I suppose you'd end up with something akin the Jacobson-Ether model. That a particle leaves an imprint in vacuum doesn't help you if you don't know what the vacuumSabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-27661146128330822732011-02-10T23:12:56.346-05:002011-02-10T23:12:56.346-05:00Hi Bee,
I reread your paper that you referenced a...Hi Bee,<br /> I reread your paper that you referenced as an update. It often takes several readings for me to fully latch onto the important things. This was also one of those times.<br /><br />The first problem you mentioned in quantum gravity, though not necessarily the most important of the three, was the problem of quantum superposition. The Schroedinger Cat problem. I think of the three Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08213251864943443334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-36681499950099300052011-02-10T09:21:56.700-05:002011-02-10T09:21:56.700-05:00Yes thanks also Bee,
One can be indeed attracted ...Yes thanks also Bee,<br /><br />One can be indeed attracted to that which most is appealing toward <a href="http://eskesthai.blogspot.com/2011/02/quark-soup-applied-superstring-theory.html" rel="nofollow">directions in research</a>, about the beginnings of the universe. It is allowing one to coordinate perspective alongside of that which is most phenomenological followed, according to PlatoHagelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00849253658526056393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-38171829570502722172011-02-10T06:12:14.957-05:002011-02-10T06:12:14.957-05:00Hi Bee,
Thanks so much for this posting pointing ...Hi Bee,<br /><br />Thanks so much for this posting pointing out this grouping of articles surrounding the current research and programs which encompass the PI mission. I particularly enjoyed the piece written by Hardy and Spekkens entitled <a href="http://www.cap.ca/sites/cap.ca/files/article/1401/apr10-offprint-hardy.pdf" rel="nofollow">"Why Physics Needs Quantum Foundations"</a> . IPhil Warnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15671311338712852659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-52195212615036816662011-02-10T06:10:43.018-05:002011-02-10T06:10:43.018-05:00At least the article "Reviving Gravity's ...At least the article "<a href="http://www.cap.ca/pic/archives/66.2%282010%29/Apr10-PiC-issue.pdf" rel="nofollow">Reviving Gravity's Aether in Einstein's Universe<br /></a>" (<a href="http://arxiv.org/abs/1004.2901/" rel="nofollow">ArXiv preprint</a>) is the step of the right direction....Zephirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06010623752049244967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-61770157930921365472011-02-10T05:49:26.292-05:002011-02-10T05:49:26.292-05:00Eric wrote:
Agree. I didn't know they named a ...Eric wrote:<br /><i>Agree. I didn't know they named a whole sector of cosmology after loop quantum gravity. Not sure, but I think that may be premature.</i><br /><br />I don't know either, that's why I asked, I'm just saying it was Lee Smolin's work that first alerted to me that the field even exists. It sounds a bit strange to look to the skies to examine the small. Then Steven Colyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10435759210177642257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-50892164437909670752011-02-10T02:32:21.268-05:002011-02-10T02:32:21.268-05:00Hi Eric,
Yes, the article isn't only very bri...Hi Eric,<br /><br />Yes, the article isn't only very brief, it's also somewhat outdated. <a href="http://arxiv.org/abs/1010.3420" rel="nofollow">This one</a> is more comprehensive. It's not just high or low energy, it's also long distances or high precision, etc. Either way, the point is to reach some range in parameter space that hasn't been explored before.<br /><br />It'Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-87217938734962902772011-02-10T02:24:29.053-05:002011-02-10T02:24:29.053-05:00Hi Steven,
I'm not much into rankings. There ...Hi Steven,<br /><br />I'm not much into rankings. There are btw several Kavli institutes (yes, the guy really had a lot of money). I guess you mean the one in Santa Barbara? <br /><br />Regarding heavy ions, there was recently a brief review on the arxiv (a talk summary I suppose), it's only a few pages and will give you an impression what's going on, see <a href="http://arxiv.org/absSabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-39009827142797356462011-02-09T21:30:16.449-05:002011-02-09T21:30:16.449-05:00Agree. I didn't know they named a whole sector...Agree. I didn't know they named a whole sector of cosmology after loop quantum gravity. Not sure, but i think that may be premature. Time will tell, unless of course it stops.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08213251864943443334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-66458502371106024902011-02-09T21:25:20.064-05:002011-02-09T21:25:20.064-05:00"2. Pursue low energy distortions of classica..."2. Pursue low energy distortions of classical quantum mechanics at very large cosmological scales."<br /><br />Make that : Pursue low energy "analogues" of classical quantum mechanics at very large cosmological scales.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08213251864943443334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-43350104390201015932011-02-09T21:20:40.567-05:002011-02-09T21:20:40.567-05:00@2 is definitely the easier of the two and we'...@2 is definitely the easier of the two and we're getting the data now from the great astronomical satellites especially Fermi and the earth-born observatories. It's called quantum cosmology and we've known about it since Lee Smolin's last book or was it the one before that? Invented at Penn State by Martin Bojowold as loop quantum cosmology, yes?Steven Colyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10435759210177642257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-92003186353503916332011-02-09T21:07:06.621-05:002011-02-09T21:07:06.621-05:00Bee, well I read the article you coauthored with L...Bee, well I read the article you coauthored with Lee. Very interesting. A lot of good ideas for future phenomenological observations of quantum gravity.The talk seems to have died down in recent months about DSR. Do you still actively pursue that trail? <br /><br />There seems to be two phenomenological approaches to quantum gravity:<br /><br />1. Pursue high energy changes to relativity, such Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08213251864943443334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-3182532742380253212011-02-09T18:47:19.664-05:002011-02-09T18:47:19.664-05:00Luboš Motl wrote:
The Perimeter Institute is also ...Luboš Motl wrote:<br /><i>The Perimeter Institute is also known as the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. I assure you that the only real Institute for Advanced Studies is located in Princeton, New Jersey.</i><br /><br />Why thank you Lubos, my bad. Or we can call it the Lazaridis/Smolin Institute, in which case IAS-Princeton Township should be called Bamberger/Einstein. Works for me.<Steven Colyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10435759210177642257noreply@blogger.com