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Philosophy of Science > Study Guide 1 > Flashcards

Study Guide 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

Epicycle

A

A smaller circle whose center travels on the circumference of a larger circle. Formalized by Ptolemy and used to explain the motion of the planets.

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2
Q

Eccentric

A

Non-perfect circle/orbit; an off-center, larger circle around which epicycles revolve (a measure of how an orbit deviates from circular)

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3
Q

Equant

A

the point at which a planet moves around in its epicycle in uniform motion. If the planet appears to move faster at one side of the orbit, the equant is used to describe constant motion from a certain perspective offset from the center. (basically made up to make the math work for orbiting in perfect circles).

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4
Q

Homocentric Spheres

A

Two spheres with the same center. IE: spinning in opposite directions, a red dot on the inner sphere’s equator would be stationary. Improvement over the two-sphere model; used spheres within spheres for prediction.

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5
Q

Eudoxus

A

Homocentric spheres (Greek philosopher)

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6
Q

Heliocentric

A

Theory (worldview) in which the sun is the center of the solar system

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7
Q

Retrograde Motion

A

When a planet drifts the opposite direction than normal with respect to the surrounding stars. IE: Jupiter traveling west instead of normally drifting east. basically a planet will be orbiting and then stop and move backwards a bit along its orbit before continuing forward.

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8
Q

Diurnal Motion

A

The apparent daily motion of stars, caused by the Earth’s rotation. every star appears to move in a circle over the course of about 24 hours as the earth moves on its axis. (So is this still geocentric?)

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9
Q

Geocentric

A

Theory (worldview) in which the earth is the center of the universe

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10
Q

Two-sphere Model

A

Explains location of the sun throughout the year. Pre-copernicus. It’s a geocentric model that divides the cosmos into regions: a spherical earth (central and motionless/sublunary) and a spherical heavenly realm centered on earth, which may contain multiple rotating spheres of ether. (Ch 14)

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11
Q

Aristarchus

A

Ancient greek astronomer. first to promote a heliocentric model. Geocentric says Bryce? it is heliocentric, according to wikipedia And Encyclopedia Brittanica, so yes. (310 - 230 BC)

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12
Q

Anaximander

A

One of the first philosophers to write down his ideas; “father of cosmology”. mechanical model of the world. (Pre Socrates 610-546 BC)
According to Encyclopedia Brittanica: the founder of cosmology, set up a gnomon (a shadow casting rod) at Sparta to show the equinoxes, hours of the day. May have built a celestial globe.also thought to have been the first to come up with the principle of sufficient reason, although we attribute it to Leibniz

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13
Q

Summer Solstice

A

Occurs when the tilt of a planet’s semi-axis, in either the northern or the southern hemisphere, is most inclined toward the star (sun) that it orbits. longest day of the year. The sun at noon is at the most northerly point in the sky

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14
Q

Vernal/autumnal Equinoxes

A

The time when the sun crosses the plane of the earth’s equator, day and the night are the same length

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15
Q

Antiperistasis

A

Resistance or reaction roused by opposition or by the action of an opposite principle or quality, when one quality heightens the intensity of another opposing quality. eg: well water seems warmer in winter.

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16
Q

Principle of Sufficient Reason

A

Is a principle which states that nothing is without reason. It is a powerful and controversial philosophical principle stipulating that everything must have a reason or a cause.

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17
Q

Natural Motions

A

Any motion that an object does naturally–without being acted upon by outside sources/violent motions. A rock falls down towards the ground when dropped (violent motion would be throwing rock up) any examples? :water and earth trying to go to center of the cosmos, but fire and air trying to go away from center. Aether goes in perfect circles.

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18
Q

Violent Motion

A

Any motion that moves an object from its natural place (Any motion that required a force) didn’t have the idea of “force” at this time. Try to describe without using “force.” Which philosopher coined these 2 phrases? I think Aristotle? Can anyone confirm? Which 2 phrases? Violent motion and natural motion.

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19
Q

Impetus

A

Basically the force imparted on an object through violent motion that forces it to continue moving

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20
Q

Heraclides of Pontus

A

Greek philosopher who proposed that the earth rotates on its axis.

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21
Q

Plenum

A

A space that is always filled with matter (so, the result of horror vacui)

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22
Q

Horror Vacui

A

A “ fear of empty space” nature abhors a vacuum; Aristotle postulated that a vacuum could not exist, that surrounding, denser nature would instantaneously fill any void; he also argued that a vacuum, being nothing, could not actually be said to exist–a vacuum to Aristotle was, in terms of nature/reality, an oxymoron.

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23
Q

Giordano Bruno

A

Martyr for science, believed among other things that the sun was just another one of the many stars. Infinite universe for an infinitely great god.

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24
Q

Neoplatonism

A

Modern version of Plato’s philosophical views. All knowledge is derived from eternal “forms.”

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25
Q

Stellar Parallax

A

The phenomenon that stars will shift based on the distance they are from you. There was a perceived lack of parallax which helped to reject the sun center view given the change in perspective of earth during summer and winter.

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26
Q

Tycho Brahe

A

Astronomer of the 1500s. Amazingly accurate observations without a telescope. Developed a system inspired by the Copernican/heliocentric model that kept Earth stationary and at the center of the universe.

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27
Q

Kepler

A

An astronomer during the 1500s, in his youth (twenties) worked with Tycho Brahe briefly, took Brahe’s data and developed a heliocentirc model. Discovered elliptical orbits

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28
Q

Tychonic Model

A

Tycho Brahe’s geocentric model, the earth is stationary and the moon and sun revolve around it, but the other planets revolve around the sun. The earth is the center of the universe, but the sun is the center of the other planets’ movement.

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29
Q

Kepler’s laws

A
  1. Planets orbit the sun in elliptical orbits, with the sun occupying one of the foci of the ellipse
  2. Planets move at varying speeds around the sun in the course of their orbits; ‘a line drawn from the planet to the sun will sweep out equal areas in equal time’. These laws abandon the notions of perfect circle orbits and uniform motion orbits.
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30
Q

Galileo

A

His discoveries in astronomy led the way for the Copernican revolution, but his advocacy of the heliocentric system led to condemnation and censorship from the Church.

Galileo fundamentally invented the telescope, and through it discovered that the moon’s surface was not smooth, that there were sunspots, discovered the phases of Venus, and Jupiter’s moons. These threee discoveries effectively disproved Aritsolean cosmology: the heavens were not shown to be perfect, in that the moon had not only craters but earthlike mountains, and the sun itself had imperfections; the phases of Venus proved that Venus orbited the sun, and the moons of Jupiter further proved that there was not one center of rotation in the galaxy/universe.

31
Q

Law of Inertia

A

Object in motion will remain in motion and travel in a straight line unless acted on by an outside force. Also known as Newton’s First Law of Motion

32
Q

Isaac Newton

A

Foundation of classical mechanics via laws of motion, universal gravitation, calculus.
Newton’s Laws:
1. Object is at rest or maintains constant velocity unless acted on by a force.

  1. acceleration proportional and in the same direction as net force, inversely proportional to mass.
  2. equal and opposite forces may act between bodies. UG (of me upon the earth) = mass (of me) x constant (6.67x10^-11) / the radius (between me and the earth)
33
Q

Relationism

A

A doctrine in which relations exist as real entities; a theory that any ideological perspective/system is conditioned by its sociocultural context (also see relativism, def. from Merriam Webster).

34
Q

Substantivalism (about space) -

A

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35
Q

Identity of Indistinguishables

A

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36
Q

Cosmology

A

Study of the origin, evolution, structure, dynamics, and fate of the universe.

37
Q

Interference pattern

A

Fill in

38
Q

Ptolemy

A

Used epicycles, equants, eccentrics, and deferents to make a predictive model for explaining the motions of the solar system.

39
Q

Twin paradox

A

Einstein’s special theory of relativity; if one twin traveled at near the speed of light to a distant star and back they would age slower than the twin who stayed on earth.

40
Q

Two-slit experiment

A

A demonstration that light/matter can display properties of both waves and particles. in the experiment, a coherent light source such as a laser beam is sent to illuminate a plate pierced by two slits

41
Q

EPR ‘paradox’

A

Two photons in a twin state (both polarized as UP or DOWN) shot off at opposite directions toward two polarization detectors (A&B). when they each reach their respective detectors, they will both register UP or DOWN, depending on the polarization they started off with.

42
Q

Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen argument Part 1

A
  1. photons must have a definite polarization before being measured. this is the locality assumption, meaning that what happens at one location cannot happen in another location unless there is some communication between the two; therefore, the measurement of the polarization of the photon at detector A cannot influence the measurement of the polarization of the photon at detector B. the polarity detectors are too far apart, and there is no time for a signal/communication unless said signal travels faster than light (which is assumed impossible). detector A cannot influence detector B, so the correlation between the polarization between the two can only be explained by the photons being twinsies to begin with.
43
Q

Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen argument Part 2

A

BUT 2. quantum theory does not represent either photon as having definite polarization before it is measured. Therefore, quantum theory is an incomplete theory of reality. either the locality assumption is false or quantum theory is incomplete. since locality is kind of a given, quantum theory must be incomplete. There is no way to know the polarization of photons before going through detectors, as detectors are what tell us the photons’ polarization.

44
Q

Bell’s theorem

A

Essentially a mathematical proof. analogy for photon detectors with coke machines: there are two coke machines, A & B, each with dials with three settings: Left (L) Middle (M) and Right (R). The coke machines both have two options: Coke or Sprite.

45
Q

Bell’s Theorem: Scenario 1

A

scenario 1: the dials on both machine A & B are set to the middle position (M). both machines produce the same soda as each other every time, but the soda varies between Coke and Sprite.

46
Q

Bell’s Theorem: Scenario 2

A

scenario 2: the dial on A is switched to L, and the dial on B remains on M. the machines still generally produce the same soda as each other, but occasionally do not. (25% difference).

47
Q

Bell’s Theorem: Scenario 3

A

scenario 3: the dial on A is moved back to M, and the dial on B is moved to R. again, there is a 25% increase in differentiation.

48
Q

Bell’s Theorem: Conclusion

A

Assuming that locality is correct, and there is no communication between the machines, then the 25% difference between A & B do not have to do with a relationship between A & B, but with the difference in setting between scenario 1 & 2, specific to each machine.
If both dials are set differently, the maximum difference between the two machines, if they do not affect one another, should be 50% That is the theorum. Quantum theory calculations agree with the predicted differences between the two Coke machines aka photons UP UNTIL maximum difference, which it predicts differently, as 75%.

49
Q

Hidden-variable theory

A

The idea that quantum theory is not capturing what reality is really like, and what is needed is to add something to the theory to better bring it back into line with our intuitions about reality

50
Q

Copenhagen interpretation

A

Standard interpretation of Quantum Theory, essentially say that things exist in superposition states until measured, and measurement causes a collapse of the wave-form that represents all other possibilities than the one actually witnessed

51
Q

Black-body problem

A

Electromagnetic radiation is emitted in discrete packets or bundles called quanta. Planks constant E=hv, where h = 6.6x10^-34 describes these segments of radiation as photons, which behave like particles.

52
Q

Instrumentalism

A

a theory that explains certain phenomena. Used as a device for predictions not necessarily to prove what is real. an attitude toward a theory in which one is primarily concerned with how well the theory predicts and explains the relevant data.

53
Q

Polarizer ‘paradox’

A

Polarizers behave by interacting with light such that only light waves in a single orientation pass through. When light which is already polarized interacts with another polarizer, the light is reoriented to the polarization plane of the second polarizer, with drop in intensity which is related to the cosine of the angle of interaction. Therefore, it is observed that when two polarizers are set up such that their polarization planes are perpendicular to each other, no light pass through. However, if a third polarizer is placed between them with some other plane of polarization, then light beings to pass through again. This seemingly surprising result can be explained mathematically using the Law of Malus. (Additional Reading: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/phyopt/polcross.html#c1

54
Q

Photoelectric effect

A

If light is above a certain frequency, electrons are emitted from the material in packets. Einstein got nobel prize for this.

55
Q

Determinism/indeterminism

A

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56
Q

Atomic spectra

A

Pure gases are heated in such a way that they emit light. Emitted in packets. different frequencies reflected are shown on a spectrogram

57
Q

wave superposition

A

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58
Q

Uncertainty principle

A

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59
Q

Complementarity

A

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60
Q

Delayed-choice Experiment

A

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61
Q

Schrodinger’s cat experiment

A

atom in a potential state of decay with a capsule of cyanide in a box with a cat. Ontological interpretation; no definitive states about the cat until you open the box

62
Q

Measurement problem

A

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63
Q

Thought experiment

A

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64
Q

Induction

A

The premises suggest the conclusion, but do not ensure it.

65
Q

worldview -

A

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66
Q

deduction

A

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67
Q

mechanism

A

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68
Q

Determinism .

A

Theory that all events/actions and even moral choices are determined by previous, underlying/external causes (in other words, are pre-determined). The theory holds that the universe is utterly rational because any understanding of the workings of the universe precludes an understanding of its future.

69
Q

Quine-Duhem thesis

A

The Quine-Duhem thesis basically claims that the key idea of a hypothesis cannot be tested in isolation; rather, we test a body of claims.

70
Q

Quine-Duhem thesis: Part 1

A

This is related to the jigsaw puzzle/building analogy concerning ‘core beliefs’–certain beliefs can be changed easily because they are not core beliefs; core beliefs being changed requires altering one’s entire worldview. Quine made a spiderweb analogy for basically the exact same concept. Because ideas/beliefs are interrelated/connected (making a web, or a puzzle, or whatever), the test of a hypothesis is not the test of a single hypothesis, but rather a collection of beliefs. Are we testing a subset of our beliefs, or, each time an experiment is conducted, are we testing our entire belief system?

71
Q

Quine-Duhem thesis: Part 2

A

Quine believed any central belief could ultimately be revised, which means he believed the whole worldview was put to the test every time–he called this the tribunal of experience; Duhem believed that we could and do test subsets, therefore we do not put our worldviews to the test very often.

72
Q

Popper

A

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73
Q

Falsificationism

A

The view that what distinguishes scientific theories from ‘pseudo-science’ is that scientific theories are falsifiable

74
Q

Indeterminism

A

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Philosophy of Science (2 decks)

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