© in This Web Service Cambridge University

Home , Roberto Mangabeira Unger

Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-07406-4 - The Singular Universe and the Reality of Time: A Proposal in Natural Philosophy Roberto Mangabeira Unger and Lee Smolin Index More information

Index

abduction, 17, 307 block-universe model, 91–92, 162, 165–166, absolute beginning model, 110, 112 188. See also classical mechanics; absolute space(time), 15, 163, 164–165, 185, determinism; Newtonian paradigm 228, 251. See also space qualia and, 482 cosmic time and, 229–230 Bohmian mechanics, 488 shape dynamics and, 387–388 bootstrapping, 380–381 action at a distance, 118 bounce solutions, 406, 450, 452, 486 adjacent possibility, 271–272 black holes, 410 algebra, 333, 430–431 branching universe models, 101, 118–119, analysis, 333 178, 453–454. See also bubble Anaximander, 250 universes; many universes models anthropic principle, 47, 97–98, 109, 160, 378, distinguished from plural universes, 105–106 462–463 Brouwer, L.E.J., 335 multiverse models and, 120 bubble universes, 6, 449–450. See also probability and, 289–290 branching universe strong, 6–7 models; many universes models; antimony of cosmogenesis, 101–102, 145, 316 multiverse models irresolvability, 104–105 Aristotle, 7, 14, 219, 318 calculus, 309–310 arithmetic, 438 Cantor, Georg, 440 transﬁnite, 440 capitalism, 71 art, 434–435 Cauchy, Augustin-Louis, 336 astronomy, 5, 360 causal set program, 388 Avicenna, 240 causality, 7–8, 32–39, 100, 293–294, 415. See also co-evolution of Barbour, Julian, 386 phenomena and laws Barnett, Lincoln, 128 action at a distance, 118 becoming, 249–251, 520–521. See also change as fundamental, 207, 208, 524–525 as dissident view, 251–252 as mental construct, 32–33 relational time and, 251 between plural universes, 106 behavioral economics, 340 between successive universes, 38, 142, being, philosophy of, 252–254. See also 262–263, 279 ontology causal connections as primitive, 9, 37 modern physics, 257–258 dependence on reality of time, 93–94, social science, 254 163–164 speculative monism, 254–255 determinism and, 417 Bergson, Henri, xv, 301 deterministic, 224 biology, 54–55. See also natural selection early universe, 148, 277–280 co-evolution of phenomena and laws, 64–65 emergence of laws from, 281 path dependence, 58–60 lawless, 34–36, 155, 164, 225, 276, 281, black holes, 269, 290–291 283–284, 365 conditions for maximal production, 457 co-evolution of laws and phenomena and, singularities in, 409–410, 451, 455 287–288

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-07406-4 - The Singular Universe and the Reality of Time: A Proposal in Natural Philosophy Roberto Mangabeira Unger and Lee Smolin Index More information

534 index

causality (cont.) constants, 10, 97, 134, 156–161, 354. See also laws of nature and, 100–101 cosmological constant; physics dependence on, 33–34 cosmological models, 396–398 mutability of, 134–135 cosmological natural selection, 456 Mach’s view, 229 dimensionless, 156–157, 279–280, 394–395 meta-law conundrum and, 221 fine-tuning, 157 nature of causal explanation, 293–294 probabilistic determination, 158–159 reality of time and, 37 special tuning, 157 relational event labeling, 382–384 standard cosmological model, 157 stressed, 111 standard model of particle physics, 156–157 sufficient reason and, 513 under-determination change. See also becoming; laws of nature probabilistic account, 158–159 (mutability) contingency, 294–299 inclusive reality of time and, 206, 222 continuum, 216, 335–336, 517. See also non-uniformity, 222–223 mathematics of change, 35–36, 41, 223, 226, 230, 312–313 non-mathematical account, 236 time as, 206, 222, 230, 312–313 time as, 235–237 Chew, Geoffrey, 380–381 cosmic microwave background, 140, classical mechanics. See also block-universe 397–398, 399, 453, 484–485 model; determinism; Newtonian cosmic preferred time, 177–178, 181, 214, paradigm 220, 227, 491–492. See also time diminution of time, 90–91 absolute time and, 229–230 time-reversibility, 185, 237 as prerequisite of cosmological theory, 488 classical ontology, 219 contrasted with absolute time, 228 clocks, 233–234 history and, 220 co-evolution of phenomena and laws, 39, measurement, 233–234 63–65, 86, 281, 282–284, objections, 181–182 286–288. See also causality; laws of quantum mechanics and, 194–197, 488 nature relativistic physics and, 114–115, 192–193, biology, 64–65 231–232 geology, 64–65 shape dynamics and, 420–421 lawless causality and, 287–288 singularity of universe and, 139–140 social science, 73, 282–283 cosmogenesis, 24–25, 101–102. See also early Communist Manifesto, The,72 universe; time (beginning); universe complex numbers, 441 bounce models, 406, 450, 452, 486 composite systems, 379–380 emergence from nothingness, 102, 145, 316 compound processes, 379–380 singularity at, 124, 144, 153, 172, 209, 402 computational paradigm, 356, 472–473 cosmological constant, 280, 396, 459, computer models, 172, 174 464. See also dark energy; constants conceptualism, 306–307 varying value, 409 configuration spaces, 19–20 cosmological dilemma, 376–377 classical mechanics, 90, 165–166 cosmological fallacies, 54 universe as, 49–50 first, 19–22, 30, 125–127, 260, 376–377, confirmability, 372 515–516, 526–527 connection postulate, 241–242, 296 second, 23–30, 31, 134, 176, 267, 516 consciousness, 273, 482–483. See also mind; cosmological inflation, 47, 127–128. See also qualia eternal inflation conservation principles, 369–370 non-cyclic succession and, 129–130 energy, 278 cosmological measure problem, 289–290 constant mean curvature (CMC) slices, 387 cosmological minimalism, 230–231

index 535

cosmological natural selection, 454–460, 464, discourse and meta-discourse, 77 499, 525, 527–528. See also evolution; first-order, 77–78 natural selection in culture and society, 80 empirical predictions, 457–460, 485 in science, 81–82 cosmological constant, 459–460 divergent universes, 106, 119–120, 137 cosmological principle, 411 DNA, 60, 61 cosmological singularity, see Durkheim, Emile, 69 singularities, 511 cosmology. See also standard cosmological early universe, 27–28, 132–134, 142. See also model cosmogenesis; history of universe; as historical science, 13–14, 42, initial conditions (of universe); 258. See also history of universe universe as science, 501 anisotropy, 150–151 natural history as model, 66–67 causality, 277–280 prospective agenda, 484–485 finitude of physical values, 269 requirements of theories historical account, 267–269 closedness, 371 homogeneity, 493–494 lack of symmetry, 369–371 information content, 148 mathematical consistency, 377–378 mutability of laws and, 176, 210, 261, 486 success as theory, 371–372 new degrees of freedom, 270 steady-state, 295 undifferentiated structure, 269–270 cyclic succession, 111–112, 124, 136, 175, very early universe, 401–402 450, 452–453. See also succession economics, 69–70, 73, 339–340 branching, 454 production, 340 ekpyrotic, 128 effective theories, 375, 401 empirical predictions, 484–485 Einstein equations, 402–403 inflation and, 128 Einstein, Albert, xi, xiii, 112, 167, 189–190, law evolution landscapes, 452–453 232–233 electromagnetic radiation, 397 dark energy, 407. See also cosmological elementary particles, 380 constant emanation, 255–256 dark flow, 106 emergent properties, 379–380 dark matter, 397–398 empirical tests, 288–289, 484–485 Dedekind, Richard, 336 change in laws, 485–486 defects problem, 400 early universe conditions, 290–291 density, 379–380 general relativity, 190–192 determinism, 188, 224, 466. See also energetic causal set framework, 389 block-universe model energy, 389–391 causality and, 417 conservation, 284–285 early universe and, 148–149 entanglement, 466–467, 490 eternalism and, 248 entropy, 52–53, 197–198, 234–235, 335 possibility and, 300 eternal inflation, 6, 107–108, 449–450, deWitt-Wheeler hypothesis, 194, 291, 405–407 460–461. See also cosmological diffeomorphisms, 385 inflation differential sufficient reason (PDSR) measure problem, 465 principle, 367–368 non-cyclic succession and, 130–131 Newtonian paradigm, 377–379 eternalism, 246, 248, 249, 361, 520 dimensionless numbers, 10, 97, 156–157, ethics, 362–366, 513 279–280, 394–395 ethical communities, 363–364 Dirac, Paul, 259 Euclidean geometry, 436, 443

536 index

events ontologies, 388–389 singularity theorems, 402–405 Everett, Hugh, 108 quantum effects and, 405 evolution. See also cosmological natural signiﬁcance, 405–407 selection spacelike singularities, 403 biological, 59, 253–254, 422–428, 436, 448 timelike singularities, 403 path dependence principle and, 59 spatialization of time, 189–190 explication, 306–307 genetic recombination, 223, 282 geology, 60–61, 253–254 facticity, 11, 14–15, 43, 45, 160–161, co-evolution of phenomena and 297–299 laws, 64–65 falsiﬁability, 372 geometry, 325–326, 430. See also topology Feyerabend, Paul, 363 Euclidean, 436, 443 Feynman diagrams, 384 non-Euclidean, 438 Feynman, Richard, 227, 259 Riemannian, 441 Flatness problem, 127 symmetries of spaces, 439–440 forces, 331–332 global clocks, 233–234 foreign clocks, 233 Gödel, Kurt, 188, 232, 343 formal axiomatic systems, 425–426 Gödel incompleteness proofs, 343–345, 433, frames of reference, 180–181 444 Fraassen, Bas C. van, 40 gravitation, 189, 377 free will, 466–467 avoidance of thermal equilibrium and, Friedmann–Robertson–Walker–Lemaître 492–493 (FRWL) model, 186–188, 396 inverse square law, 331–332 future, 248–249 gravitational constant, 156 unreality of, 416 gravitational waves, 396–397

galaxies, 398 Hawking, Stephen, 144 Galilean relativity, 285 Hawking–Penrose theorem, 291, 403 games, 423 hierarchy problem, 395 gauge principle, 355 Higgs ﬁeld, 381–382 gauge symmetries, 307–308, 370 Hilbert program, 343–345, 444 gauge theories Hilbert, David, 343 equivalence between, 472–473 history of universe, 169, 170–171. See also gauge/gravity duality, 192 cosmology as historical science; early general relativity, 52, 85, 139, 375. See also universe; universe relativistic physics dark matter, 397–398 choice of initial events, 378–379 dependence on cosmic time, 177–178, 220, cosmic time and, 179, 519 238–239 empirical component, 190–192, 522–524 dependence on reality of time, 238–239 FRWL model, 186–188 far future, 407–410 incompatibility with historical account of incompatibility with general relativity, universe, 184–185 184–188 initial conditions of universe, 124 incompatibility with Newtonian paradigm, lack of general symmetries, 369–370 173 relational approaches mutability of laws and, 202–203, 264–265 Einstein’s, 386 openness, 531–532 shape dynamics, 387–388 quantum mechanics’ unhistorical nature, simultaneity in, 418–421 195–196 singularity as breakdown of, 145, 172, Hobbes, Thomas, 222 209, 291 hole argument, 385

index 537

horizon problem, 127, 399 landscape, 447, 451–452 Hoyle, Fred, 463–464 laws of nature. See also co-evolution of hydrodynamics, 167 phenomena and laws; principles (physical) identity of indiscernibles, 369, 382–383 abstracted from meta-laws, 122 identity of indiscernibles principle, 369–370, as local in multiverse model, 109–110 382–383, 499 as mode of causality, 100–101 igneous rocks, 60 as primitive, 122 infinitesimals, 337 causality and, 33–34, 281 infinity, 102, 112. See also mathematics; causal connections as primitive, 37 singularities emergence from cosmic singularity, actual existence, 315–318 145–146 Aristotle’s conception, 318–319 empirical confirmation, 416 age of universe, 114 historical accounts, 123–125 initial singularity, 124 immutability, 11–12, 95, 175 mathematical representation, 314–316, necessity for science, 177, 199, 223–224, 516–517 260 quantum mechanics, 195 initial conditions and, 51 relative frequencies in infinite sets, 465 mutability, 8–9, 134–135, 142, 147, 259, transfinite arithmetic, 440 260–261, 358, 417–418. See also change inflaton, 486 as part of history of universe, 264–265 information content, 242 branching universes, 453–454 early universe, 148 current stability and, 147 initial conditions (Newtonian models), 49–50, early universe, 176, 261 121–125, 225–226, 289 explanatory advantage, 261, 266 as primitive, 122 forms of nature and, 269–273 reduction of laws to, 470–476 landscape, 447, 452–453 initial conditions (of universe), 11–12, observation, 485–486 121–125, 149, 171–172, 210. See also reality of time and, 164 early universe singular universe and, 261 choice of, 378–379 Newtonian paradigm, 20 cosmological natural selection and, 460 origin, 172–173 empirical investigation, 290 reduction to states, 476–479 experimental reproduction, 154–155 relation to phenomena, 264 fine-tuning, 11, 396 source of, 10 flatness, 400 stability, 172, 204, 207, 265–267 historical accounts, 123–125 time-reversibility, 36–37, 492–496 metalaws and, 477 underdetermination, 47–48 natural law and, 51 underdetermination of universe, 174 origin, 172–173 within time, 8 standard cosmological model, 132 least action principle, 278, 284 succession and, 152–153 legal systems, 306–307 thermal homogeneity, 399 Leibniz, Gottfried, 49, 229, 316, 337, 347, 367, intrinsic properties, 388–389 513–514 intuitionism, 326–327 Lemaître, Georges, 25 inverse square law, 331–332 leptons, 381–382 life, 50 Kant, Immanuel, 103–104, 243–244, 327 co-evolution of laws and phenomena, kaon condensates, 457 64–65 Kauffman, Stuart, 272–271, 448 defining attributes, 66 Kuhn, Thomas, 79 life sciences, 259. See also science

538 index

local clocks, 233 explication, 306–307 loop quantum gravity, 377, 496 history, 325–342, 431–446 Lorentz transformation, 53 natural history and, 337–338 natural philosophy and, 88–89 Mach, Ernst, xviii, 75, 222, 229, 515 Newtonian paradigm and, 334 Mach’s principle, 385 Platonism, 445 many-universes models, 6, 97. See also primacy over physics, 44 branching universe models; bubble proof, 426–427 universes; multiverse models; universe recursive reasoning, 307, 329 Marx, Karl, 40–41, 69–70 relation to natural world, 17 Marxism, 79–80, 282–283 representation of flow of time, 215–217, mathematics, 12, 68–69, 88, 201–202, 235–236 302–303, 358, 528–529. See also research directions, 434–435 continuum; infinity science and, 305, 330–335 analogical amplification of perceptual social science and, 338–339 experience, 326–327 space and, 312–313, 319 as discovery, 303, 304, 319–320, 422, 444 timelessness, 15, 202, 257–258, 308–309, as evoked, 422–428, 436, 442–444, 529 322–323 as invention, 303–305, 319, 422, 444–445 universe as isomorphic to, 12, 122, 366, 415 as solipsistic, 327 mature universe, 27, 270–272 as timeless simulacrum of world, 215–216, Maxwell, James Clerk, 51 310–311, 321–322, 431, 528–529 Mazur, Barry, 426–427 axiomatic reasoning, 320–321 McTaggart, J.M.E., 213–214 axiomatization, 343–344, 433–434, 438, metalaw problem, 9, 31–32, 38–39, 71–72, 444 116, 176, 204, 207–208, 275–277, classical ontology and, 245 292–293, 418, 447, 524–528 deflationary account, 345–347 causality as primitive, 221, 292–293 dependence of multiverse view on, 140–141 reduction to states, 476–479 describing change in time, 309–310 requirements for theory resolving, 498–499 development, 442–443 universality of metalaw, 470–476 beyond realm of experience, 325–326 metamorphic rocks, 60 evocation and study of variations, metaphysical folly, 480 438–439 mind, 323–325, 344–345. See also formalization, 433–435 consciousness; qualia internal, 328–330, 333, 342, 435–437 computational theory, 356–357 applicability to nature, 441–442 modality, 294–299. See also probability naturalistic phase, 432–433 (within and between universes) new objects by unification, 440–441 possibility, 299–301 new structures, 439–440 momentum of mathematical powers, 18 as intrinsic, 389–391 relationships between autonomously conservation, 285 generated constructions, 441 monism, 254–255 effectiveness, 310, 346, 428–430 Montesquieu, 69 economics, 339–341 multiverse models, 6, 12, 47, 105–106, 108, in mathematics, 430–431 135, 159, 357. See also branching limits of, 334–335, 341–342 universe models; many universes space and, 312–313 models; parallel universes; plural empirical discovery and, 443 universes; singular universes equivalent propositions, 307–308 (arguments for); universe evolutionary conjecture, 323–325 anthropic principle and, 120

index 539

dependence on reality of mathematics, Newtonian paradigm, 19, 43, 237, 341, 140–141 358–359, 373. See also block-universe eternal inflation, 449–450 model; classical mechanics inappropriate use of Newtonian paradigm, applicability of mathematics, 334 125–127 application to entire universe, 95, 125–127, lack of explanatory power, 135, 378 373–374 laws of nature as local, 109–110 cosmological inapplicability, 373–377, 500 probability in, 149 determinism and, 149 quantum mechanics, 108 incompatibility with historical approach, Mumford, David, 303 173 mutability of types, 61–63, 86, initial conditions, 49–50, 225–226 253–254. See also natural kinds; laws of nature, 20 ontology immutability, 260 social science, 254 principle of sufficient reason (PSR) applied species, 62 to, 377–379 Myerson, Émile, 189 temporal naturalist context, 391–392 time in, 165–166, 277 natural evolution, 323–325 Noether’s theorem, 285, 369, 390 natural history, 58–60 non-cyclic succession, 116, 136–137, as model for cosmology, 66–67 268. See also succession mathematics and, 337–338 eternal inflation and, 130–131 natural kinds, 243, 253. See also mutability of inflation and, 129–130 types; ontology reasons for preference over cyclic natural philosophy, xviii, 75–78, 514, 531–532 succession, 138 aims, 76, 531–532 non-Euclidean geometry, 325–326 as meta-discourse, 77–78, 81–82 nothingness, 102, 145, 316 connection between conception and now, 247–248 empirical discovery, 87–88 nucleic acids, 60 contemporary form, 82 number, 313, 433 distinction between empirical and ontological aspects of scientific theory, observable universe, 5 83–86 large-scale structure, 397–398 interdisciplinary methodological ontology, 63, 232–233. See also being; comparison, 85–86 mutability of types; natural kinds; mathematics and, 88–89 proto-ontology metaphysical limits, 76–77 argument for current structure of universe nature as subject, 75 as effectively permanent, 244 natural selection, 56, 282. See also biology; classical, 219 cosmological natural selection distinguished from proto-ontology, 243 naturalism, 356–357 mathematics and, 245 as ethical stance, 362–366 misguided nature of project of fundamental definition, 363 ontology, 240 epistemology, 364 naturalism, 362 ontology, 362 relationship to empirical content of necessity, 43, 294–299 theories, 83–84 negative capability, 273 neuroeconomics, 340 panentheism, 255–256 neutron stars, 457 panpsychism, 482, 483, 531 newness, 301 parallel universes, 106. See also multiverse Newton, Isaac, 165 models

540 index

parallel universes (cont.) presentism, 246–247, 361, 520 lack of explanatory power, 107, 119 principles (physical), 278, 284–285. See also particle accelerators, 154–155, 269, 290 laws of nature particle physics. See standard model of as immutable, 286 particle physics; string theory mutable, 286 past principles of the open future, 364 unreality, 416 probability, 158–159 path dependence principle, 58–61, 86 in quantum mechanics, 468–469 evolution and, 59 within and between universes, 148–149, particularity of nature and, 59 289–290, 465. See also modality rock formation, 60–61 problem-solving, 324–325 Peirce, Charles Sanders, 307, 367, 417 proteins, 60 Penrose, Roger, 144, 175, 397, 402, 517 proto-ontology, 239–243, 256–257, 296, perceptual experience, 480–481. See also 317. See also ontology qualia connection, 241–242 science vs., 217–220 plurality, 241, 256–257 periodic table, 24, 61 reality, 240 perpetual motion, 154 punctuated equilibrium, 173 phase transitions, 25–26, 207, 210 Putnam, Hilary, 522 physics. See also constants; quantum mechanics; relativistic physics; qualia, 364, 480–481, 531. See also standard model of particle physics; consciousness; perceptual experience science; string theory quantum ﬁeld theory, 384 as supreme science, 55 quantum graphity, 497 effectiveness, 353 quantum gravity, 368–369 mathematics in, 428–430, 445–446 background independent approaches, scaling up, 212 496–498 uniﬁcation, 46–47, 51–53, 96–97, 353–354 shape dynamics and, 421 values of constants, 97, 134 quantum mechanics, 51–52, 167–168, Planck’s constant, 156 333. See also physics plasticity, 345 avoidance of singularities via, 291–292, Platonism, 303, 424, 445, 529 405–406 plural universes, 137, 151, 291, 413, 449–450, cosmic time and, 194–197 460–465. See also multiverse models double slit experiment, 467–468 arguments against, 116–117 entanglement, 466–467 collisions, 106 foundational issues, 486–491 distinguished from divergent universes, free will and, 466–467 105–106 hidden-variables theories, 195, 196, 365, succession and, 141–143 392, 487–488 underdetermination and, 159–160 incompleteness, 195 plurality postulate, 241, 256–257, 296 multiverse, 108 Poincaré, Henri, xviii, 54, 75, 163 multiverse model and, 107 popular science, 82 probability, 468–469 possibility, 225, 299–301 reality of ensembles, 488–489 singular universe view, 300–301 unhistorical nature, 195–196 spectral account, 299–300 quarks, 381–382 possible worlds, 294–295 quaternions, 441 precedence principle, 466, 470, 483, 490, 525–526 radical contingency, 44–45 prediction, 120 real numbers, 216, 336

index 541

reality, 240 hierarchy of sciences, 54, 55 as transitive property, 418–419 limits, 316–317 reciprocal action principle, 368 mathematics and, 330–335 recursive reasoning, 307, 329 methodological comparisons, 85–86 reductionism, 55, 63–64 necessity of unchangeable laws, 177, 199, hierarchy of scientific disciplines, 54 223–224, 260 limits, 379–380 philosophy and, xix strong, 57, 273–274, 282 popular, 82 weak, 57, 259–260, 273–274 problem-solving in, 324 regularities of nature revolutionary, 79 cyclic succession, 115–116 scientific communities, 363–364 reification, 338 scientific method, 23, 363 relationalism, 229, 251, 355–356, scientism, 317, 512–513 529–531. See also time sedimentary rocks, 60–61 as answer to reductionism, 380–382 self-revision, 80–81 becoming and, 251 shape dynamics, 183–184, 192, 387–388, causal set program, 388 420–421, 491–492. See also relativistic general relativity physics Einstein’s approach, 386 quantum gravity and, 421 intrinsic properties and, 388–389 Shapiro’s time delay test, 191 energy and momentum as, 389–391 simultaneity, 91, 178–179, 193, limitations, 385–386 418–421 uniqueness of events, 382–384 singular universe, 5, 92, 100, 357–358, relativistic physics, 52. See also general 414–415. See also universe (as all relativity; physics; shape dynamics that exists) cosmic time and, 114–115 absolute beginning model, 110 empirical confirmation, 419 arguments for, 116–117. See also preferred rest states, 180–181 multiverse models reality of time and, 91–92 from incompatibility of non-cyclic relativity of simultaneity, 91, 178–179, 193, succession with eternal inflation, 418–421 127–131 time in, 168 from reciprocal support of arguments, religion, 366 138–141 rest states, 180–181 from rejection of first cosmological revolutionary science, 79 fallacy, 125–127 Riemannian geometry and general relativity: from rejection of second cosmological pseudo-Riemannian four-dimensional fallacy, 131–138 manifold and time, 104, 131, 179, 180, from wish to answer questions about 190–193, 214, 232, 441 initial conditions, 121–125 Riemannian spacetime and empirical tests, non-empirical character of multiverse, 191–192 117–121 Robinson, Abraham, 337 branching universe models and, 101 rulers, 217–218 causal communion as criterion, 100 Rutherford, Ernest, 406 relativistic physics and, 114–115 Schopenhauer, Arthur, 219 solitary universe variant, 110 science. See also life sciences; physics; social succession of universes, 110–111, science 113–114 contradicting perceptual experience, cyclic, 111–112, 115, 124 217–220 inflation and, 128 distinction between empirical and non-cyclic, 112, 116, 124–125 ontological components, 83–86 world of singular events, 111

542 index

singularities, 22, 112, 269. See also infinity star formation, 398 as breakdown of general relativity, 145 statistical mechanics, 52, 167, 197–198, at origin of universe, 124, 132, 144, 153, 237–238. See also thermodynamics 172, 209, 402 steady-state universe, 295 objections to, 145–146 stratigraphy, 60–61 immutability of laws and, 204 Strawson, Galen, 480 in black holes, 409–410, 451 string theory, 6, 46–47, 97, 98–99, 107, 119, quantum effects eliminating, 291–292 171–172, 211, 377. See also physics social science, 40–41, 54, 69–71, 79–80, empirical tests, 461–462 254. See also science minimally supersymmetric, 462–463 closed list of social systems, 71 multiverse, 108–109 co-evolution of phenomena, 73, 282–283 strong anthropic principle, 6–7 economics, 69–70, 73, 339 structure of universe, 132–134 mathematics and, 338–339 succession, 262–263, 413, 450. See also cyclic meta-laws, 71–72 succession; non-cyclic succession; mutability of laws, 175 universe social structure as made and imagined, causal connection between current and 69–70 previous universes, 142, 279 social self-criticism, 80 change of laws between universes, 142 space, 242. See also absolute space(time) empirical inquiry into earlier universes, mathematics and, 312–313, 319 146–147 topology, 411–412 successive universes spacetime plurality and, 141–143 as backdrop to events, 163 sufficient reason principle, 42, 367, 499, Kant on, 103–104 513–515 Lorentz formulation, 104 symmetry, 369–370 relational account, 49 special relativity, 419 temperature, 379–380 special tuning problem, 395 temporal naturalism, 357, 361. See also time species, 62 (reality) speculative monism, 254–255 contrasted with timeless naturalism, Spinoza, Baruch, 219, 316 361–362 spontaneous collapse models, 488 ethics, 364 standard cosmological model, 131–132, see also time, 511 144–145, 360. See also cosmology thermodynamics, 52, 167, 197–198, 335, constants, 157 355. See also statistical mechanics defects problem, 400 time. See also cosmic time; relationalism fine-tuning and scale, 395–398 as change, 206, 222, 230, 312–313 flatness problem, 399–400 as fundamental, 205–207, 262 horizon problem, 399 beginning, 42–43. See also cosmogenesis necessity and contingency, 297 continuous, 235–237 standard model of particle physics, 46–47, discontinuous, 236–237 120, 133, 196, 354. See also physics experience and, 218 constants, 156–157, 394–395 in quantum mechanics, 167–168 cosmological natural selection, 456 inseparability from space, 178 variability and anthropic principle, 378 irreversibility, 185, 234–235, 354, empirical confirmation, 393–395 492–493 gauge group, 394 Laplacean determinism and, 224–225 relational aspects, 381–382 mathematical representation of flow, supersymmetry and grand unification, 370 215–217

index 543

non-emergence, 104, 206, 227 universe. See also cosmogenesis; early reality, 7, 139, 162, 415–418. See also universe; history of universe; many- temporal naturalism universe models; multiverse models; causation, laws and, 292–294 singular universe; succession denial of, 90–92 age, 102, 114 problems, 93–94 application of Newtonian paradigm to, 95 inclusive, 206, 245–248 as all that exists motivations for pursuing, 208–209 6193-6300. See also singular universe objections, 212–217 as conﬁguration space, 49–50 qualia and, 480–481 as global clock, 234 relativity of simultaneity and, 418–421 as mathematical structure, 12, 366 singularity of universe and, 139, differentiated structure, 271 200–201 eternity, 114, 517–518 thermodynamics and, 167 facticity, 11, 14–15, 43, 160–161, unreality of future, 416 297–299 relativistic treatment, 52, 91–92, 168 fundamental structure, 132–134 spatialization, 168, 181–182, 189–190, 232, large-scale structure, 410–412 263–264, 314 mature state, 27, 270–272 unreality, 203, 213–214, 218–219 topology, 411–412 timeless naturalism, 361–362 topology, 440. See also geometry Vico, Giambattista, 69 of space, 411–412 vitalism, 54–55 transcendental folly, 366 Turing machines, 473 wave function collapse, 167–168 twistor theory, 381 Weierstrass, Karl, 336–337 typological idea, 306–307 Weinberg, Stephen, 464 Weyl curvature hypothesis, 397 ultraviolet catastrophe, 405–406 Weyl, Hermann, 347 underdetermination, 47–48, 158, 171–172, Wheeler, John, 108 174, 428–429 Wheeler–DeWitt equation, 194–195, 497 plural universes, 159–160 Wigner, Eugene, 304 uniﬁcation scale, 401–402 universal anachronism, 23–30, 31, 267 Yang–Mills theories, 393