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It Was About Time IT WAS ABOUT TIME A book report of Jimena Canales’ The Physicist & the Philosopher Episode 3: Finale Leo Michelotti January 18, 2019 Erratum ● Last time (December 7) I said that Edouard Le Roy had talked both Einstein and Bergson into their 1922 debate. According to page 131 in the book, Walther Rathenau was the one who finally convinced Einstein to accept the invitation and go to Paris. ● Rathenau was killed later that Summer. – “A band of men intent on assassinating prominent Jews shot him at close range and finished him off by throwing a hand grenade into his car. ... Einstein's work was [already] widely attacked, often because of blatant anti-Semitism. ... [After] his visit to Paris, [he and his supporters] would have to deal, in addition, with Bergson's objections and those of his numerous supporters.” January 18, 2019 It Was About Time ( Leo Michelotti ) 2 Opposition ● EINSTEIN – All physics invariant under Lorentz transformations. ● No preferred reference frame for any physical phenomenon. – Lorentz transformations are not “just” mathematics but express something real about the nature of space-time. – Simultaneity is not absolute. Temporal order of events outside each other’s light cones is ambiguous. – Time is what clocks measure! “Philosopher’s time” does not exist. ● BERGSON – Time is not space; they are not interchangeable. – Time is dynamic and irreversible, not static and reversible. ● The elan vital, a “vital impulse” flowing through the universe – Time exists as duration; there is no time "point." – Physical time of clocks is real but not complete. Philosopher’s Time exists too. January 18, 2019 It Was About Time ( Leo Michelotti ) 3 Opposition THE BLOCK-UNIVERSE ● EINSTEIN – All physics invariant under Lorentz transformations. – Consequence of the relativity of simultaneity ● No preferred reference frame for any physical phenomenon. – Minkowski’s space-time diagrams and world lines – Lorentz transformations are not “just” mathematics but express something real about the nature– Following of space-time. the logic and assuming that math models – Simultaneity reality is lead not absolute. to the conclusion Temporal order that of events past, outside present each and other’s light cones is ambiguous. future are all equally existent and “real.” – Time– Ouris what perception clocks measure! of the “Philosopher’s past being time” “gone” does notand exist. the ● BERGSON future being “not yet” is an illusion. – Time– Thisis not space;is what they was are notmeant interchangeable. by those who said that – Time Einstein is dynamic “killedand irreversible, time.” not static and reversible. ● The elan vital, a “vital impulse” flowing through the universe – Time exists as duration; there is no time "point." – Physical time of clocks is real but not complete. Philosopher’s Time exists too. January 18, 2019 It Was About Time ( Leo Michelotti ) 4 Quantum theory: the other debate ● Seven Solvay Conferences on physics between 1911 and 1933, chaired by Hendrik Lorentz (Belgium), Paul Langevin (France), and others. ...+ ● “During the [1927] Solvay Conference, Einstein started a notorious debate with ... Niels Bohr ... uttering his argument that God did not play dice with the universe.... From then on the Solvay Conferences 'took quite a dramatic turn' plagued by disputes pertaining to the relation between relativity and quantum mechanics....” ● “Defenders of Bohr and quantum mechanics increasingly turned to Bergson for support.” ...+ January 18, 2019 It Was About Time ( Leo Michelotti ) 5 Quantum theory: the other debate ● Seven SolvayEinstein Conferences and Poincar éon met physics once: atbetween the Solvay 1911 and 1933,Conference chaired by in Hendrik 1911. They Lorentz discussed (Brussels) not relativity Paul Langevin but(France). thermodynamics and, presumably, its growing understanding in terms of statistical mechanics. ● “During the [1927] Solvay Conference, Einstein started a notoriousMy debate bet: they with talked ... Nielsmostly Bohr about ... entropy. uttering his argument that God did not play dice with the universe.... From thenPoincar on theé Solvaydied the Conferencesnext year from 'tookcomplications quite a dramatic turn'following plagued prostate by surgery.disputes pertaining to the relation between relativity and quantum mechanics....” ● “Defenders of Bohr and quantum mechanics increasingly turned to Bergson for support.” ...+ January 18, 2019 It Was About Time ( Leo Michelotti ) 6 Quantum theory: the other debate ● Seven Solvay Conferences on physics between 1911 and 1933, chaired by Hendrik Lorentz (Belgium), Paul Langevin (France), and others. ● “During the [1927] Solvay Conference, Einstein started a notorious debate with ... Niels Bohr ... uttering his argument that God did not play dice with the universe.... From then on the Solvay Conferences 'took quite a dramatic turn' plagued by disputes pertaining to the relation between relativity and quantum mechanics....” ● “Defenders of Bohr and quantum mechanics increasingly turned to Bergson for support.” ...+ January 18, 2019 It Was About Time ( Leo Michelotti ) 7 Quantum theory: the other debate ● Seven Solvay“Some Conferences of those who followedon physics these between new 1911 and 1933,debates chaired saw by inHendrik them, and Lorentz in the triumph(Belgium), of Paul Langevin quantum(France), mechanics, and others. the final vindication of Bergson's lifework.” ● “During the [1927] Solvay Conference, Einstein started a notorious“Bergson's debate withwork, ... which Niels had Bohr long ... been uttering his argument consideredthat God dida philosophical not play dice defense with theof universe.... From thenindeterminism, on the Solvay was Conferences seen to bear 'tookdirectly quite on a dramatic turn'Heisenberg's plagued principle by disputes of indeterminacy. pertaining ...to the relation between[It was argued relativity that andhe] had quantum offered mechanics....”'a remarkable anticipation of the principle of ● “Defendersindeterminacy,' of Bohr and beating quantum Heisenberg mechanics by increasinglytwenty turned years.” to Bergson for support.” ...+ January 18, 2019 It Was About Time ( Leo Michelotti ) 8 Quantum theory: the other debate ● Seven“In Solvayhis work Conferenceson X-rays, the physiciston physics Maurice between de Broglie 1911 and showed1933, chaired that the byrays Hendrik seemed Lorentzto behave (Belgium), both as waves Paul Langevinand as (France), particles. andHis famous others. brother, Louis, would repeatedly associate these new insights from physics with ● “DuringBergson's the [1927] philosophy. Solvay ... DeConference, Broglie downplayed Einstein the started a notoriousimportance debate of relativity with ...theory Niels when Bohr compared ... uttering to these his argumentnew scientific that God developments. did not play ... dice[He] foundwith the that universe.... the Fromphilosopher's then on the [earlier] Solvay work Conferences 'consequently 'took antedates quite aby forty years the ideas of Niels Bohr and Werner dramaticHeisenberg turn' plagued on the physical by disputes interpretation pertaining of wave to the relationmechanics.' between In relativity his view ... and Einstein's quantum work mechanics....” simply extended classical conceptions of space and time...: ● “Defenders of Bohr and quantum mechanics '[R]elativity physics seemed to be in flagrant opposition to increasinglyBergson's turned views, ...to Bergson[and] is the for final support.” development ...+ of classical physics.' ” [emphasis mine] January 18, 2019 It Was About Time ( Leo Michelotti ) 9 Quantum theory: the other debate ● “Einstein was unable to attend the Solvay Conference of 1933. ... [The] tone of their discussions appeared increasingly unfit for scientists.... Bohr explained the urgency of having additional international scientific meetings so that participants would not leave with a negative impression of science. He had in mind Einstein's remarks about what God would or would not do: 'Utterances of this kind would naturally in many minds evoke the impression of an underlying mysticism foreign to the spirit of science.' ... Despite his best efforts, the International Congress for the Unity of Science (1936) was yet another display of disunity.” ● “The Einstein-Bergson debate was now entangled with the larger problem of how relativity could be reconciled with quantum mechanics.” January 18, 2019 It Was About Time ( Leo Michelotti ) 10 Structure and content ● Part One: The Debate (three chapters) – Starts from the 1922 meeting featuring Einstein and Bergson and proceeds to preliminary introductions of material to follow. ● Part Two: The Men (sixteen chapters) – Most of the major players in the subsequent discussions, with their repercussions for science and philosophy. ● Part Three: The Things (eight chapters) – Inventions, discoveries, and technologies that influenced the arguments: e.g. clocks, telecommunication, movies, recordings, trains, planes and automobiles, and atoms. ● Part Four: The Words (two chapters) – A few final (recorded) thoughts of Einstein and Bergson about each other and the argument they initiated. January 18, 2019 It Was About Time ( Leo Michelotti ) 11 Part Three: The Things ● Chapter titles: – Things – Clocks and Wristwatches – Telegraph, Telephone and Radio – Atoms and Molecules – Einstein’s Films: Reversible – Bergson’s Movies: Out of Control – Microbes and Ghosts – One New Point: Recording Devices ● This part is about the people behind “the things” and how “the things” affected the debaters. January 18, 2019
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