Cosmology, physics, and philosophy
By: Benjamin Gal-Or.
Series: Recent advances as a core curriculum course -- v. 1
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published: 1981
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 522
Subjects: Cosmology.; Physics -- Philosophy.
Description: Cosmology, Physics and Philosophy

Table of Contents  
(The last two Volumes published FREE online)

VOLUME  I  [Out of print. May only be purchased online as hardcover used book]

Worldwide Acclaims  ……………………………………...………      ii
SIR KARL POPPER, Foreword  ……………….……………..….    xx
SIR ALAN COTTRELL, Foreword ………………….……….....    xxi 
Preface  ……………………………………..….……….…..……...   xxii

Introduction  …………..………………………..………………….       2
  1.1   The Revival of Relativistic Cosmology vs. Modified 
          Concepts in Physics and Philosophy  …………………...….…      2
          1.1.1    The problem of ordering  ……………………...….…      3
1.1.2    How did it all start? ………………………………...       5 
1.1.3    The first seven stages  ……………………………....       7    
1.1.4	The present matter-dominated era ……………………..   11 
2.1   The Einsteinian Methodology: A Preliminary Remark  .     11
2.2	The Withdrawal of Philosophy From Physics (and of
Physics From Philosophy)  …………………………….…...…    13
   2.3   The Greatest Ambition of Physics  ……………………..…......    16
2.3.1	Unification of initial-boundary conditions first?
Unification of fields second?  …………………...…....    16
2.3.2	 Should unification begin with 
           differential equations?  …………………..…….…...…   17
2.4	The Great Physico-Philosophical Gains From
The Discovery of the Cosmic Background Radiation  ………..    19
2.5   The Expanding Universe   ………………………….…….…...    22
2.6   The 1977 “Aether Drift” Discovery ……………..………....….   23
2.7	Verification of Physical Laws by Astronomy and
Astrophysics   ……………………………………….……….…  24
3.1   Some Tentative Assertions   …...……………………..…...…..    26
3.2	The Skeptic’s Outlook .……………………...………..…...…..    69

PART I:   Preliminary Concepts

1.	From Terrestrial Gravitational Structures
          To Black Holes and Neutrinos in Astrophysics ……...……..    74
1.1    Gravitation, Asymmetry and Structure ………………….……    80
	A fallacy associated with current theories  ……………….........….    80 
1.1.2   Gravity-induced sedimentary structures  …………...    81
1.2     Stars and the Hertzsprung-Russel Central Diagram ………..   88
1.3     Supernovae, Gravitational Collapse,
    Neutron Stars, Pulsars  ……………………………………..    92
1.4	X-Ray Astronomy, Binary X-Ray Systems, and
          Gravitational Clocks  ……………………………………...    100
1.5	Black Holes  …………………………………………….…   106
1.6	Gas, Dust and the Formation of Stars in Our Galaxy  ….…    113
1.7	How Are Cosmic Distances Measured?  …………………     116
1.8	Neutrino Astronomy and Astrophysics   …………………     130
1.9	The Emergence of Gamma-Ray Astronomy  …………….     132
1.10	Exploration of Extra-Solar Space 
          By Unmanned Spacecraft  ………………………………..     134

2.   From “Conservation” in Classical Physics
      To Solitons in Particle Physics  ………………………..……     136
2.1    Aim and Scope  …………………………………………...      138
2.2    Limitations of Theory  ……………………………………      140
2.3    The General Macroscopic Equation  ……………………..      142
2.4    Continuity Equation (Total Mass Conservation)  ………...      146
2.5    Conservation of Linear Momentum and Gravity.…………      147
2.6    The Navier-Stokes Equations and Gravity ……………….      149
2.7	Kinetic-Energy Equation and 
         Dissipation Function in Gravitational Fields  …………….      152
2.8	First Law of Thermodynamics or Energy
Conservation Equation ……………………………………     154
2.9    First Law and Enthalpy  …………………………………..     156
2.10  First Law In Terms of Temperature Field  ………………..     157
2.11  Entropy Balance Equation ………………………………..      159
2.12	Beyond Classical Physics:
Solitons, Antisolitons and Conservation ………………….     160
2.13	Neutrinos and the Powerful Role Conservation 
         Equations Play in Subatomic Processes (Addendum) ……      163

3.      From General Relativity and Relativistic Cosmology
         To Gauge Theories …………………………..……………….. 166
3.1	Introduction  ………………………………………………....   167
3.1.1	Einstein’s field equations in general relativity ……….…..   169
3.1.2	Confirmation of Einstein’s Theory of Gravitation  ……….  172
3.2	Principles and Formulations of General Relativity and
Relativistic Cosmology  ………………...……….…………… 181
3.3	Observations, The “Age” of the Universe
And “Equivalent Local Cells” …………………….……….…  200
3.4	Timekeeping, Accelerated Observers and the
Principle Of Equivalence  ………………………….…………  204
3.5   From General Relativity to Unified Field Theories  …………   205

PART II: From Physics to Philosophical Crossroads
and Back

4.   The Arrows of Time  ……………………………….…..….…...  214
4.1	 Time and The Arrow of Time:
 The Most Distorted Of All Ideas?  …………………………..  215
4.2	 Asymmetry-Symmetry-Space-Time and 
         The Unification of The Laws of Physics  ……………………  216
4.3    Methodology, Aim and Scope  ………………………………  217
4.4    Confusing Concepts of Time and Time Asymmetries  ……… 219
4.5	 The Entropic Arrow of Time  ………………………………..  222
4.6	 Causality, Causation and Time Asymmetries  ………………. 226
4.7	 Causation and Determinism in
 Relativistic Theories  ………………………………………… 227
4.8    Cosmological Arrows of Time and Cosmic Time  ………….   230
4.9    A Few Remarks  ……………………………………...……..   232
4.10	Time-Reversal Invariance and Irreversibility  …………….…  236
4.11	Microscopic Time Asymmetries 
         in “Elementary Particles”  ………………………….………..   240
4.12	The Death of Scale-Based Physics  ……………….…………   242
4.13	The “Dual” Quantum-Geometrodynamical
School and “Superspace”  …………………………………..    243
4.14	Tachyons and Causal Violations  …………………….………  246
4.15	Macrocausality and Microcausality in Quantum Mechanics … 247
4.16	Fading Memory in Classical Physics  ………………………..  247
4.17	Doubts As To The Universality of Entropy  …………………  249
4.18	Entropy-Free Thermodynamic Arrows of Time  ………….…. 250

5.   The Crisis In Quantum Physics   ………………………….…… 254  
5.1	Preliminary Review  …………………………………….…….  255
5.1.1	The effect of gravitation and the outside
     world on quantum physics  …………………………..…. 258
5.1.2	The three main schools of thought  ………………….…   261
5.2	Einstein’s Objections to the Uncertainty Principle  …………..   262
5.3	The Heresy of a Few Skeptics  …………………………….….  265
5.4	Mythologized Concepts of Quantum Physics  …………….….   265
5.5	The Failure of Classical and Quantal Statistical 
        Mechanics to Deduce Irreversibility and Time 
        Asymmetries  ……………………………………………….…  267
5.6	The Emergence of Quantum Chromodynamics 
And Super-Symmetry  ………………………………………...  272
5.6.1   Spatio-Temporal Approach to Quantum Physics  ……..  272
5.6.2	From Weinberg-Salam Theory to
Quantum Chromodynamics  …………………………...  273
5.6.2.1	Conservation laws as symmetry principles;
and vice versa  …………………………………...  273
5.6.2.2	Global, exact, approximate, isotopic 
               and SU(3) symmetries  ………………………..…  274
5.6.2.3	From SU(3) to renormalizable gauge 
theories  ………………………………………....   276
5.6.2.4	Quark confinement asymptotic freedom
in gauge theories  …………………………….     276-1
5.6.2.5	QCD and the search for higher symmetry
principles  ……………………………………     276-1
5.6.3	From Quantum Field Theories to Super-Symmetry
Super-Gravity  …………………………………….…   276-3
5.6.3.1	On the limits of super-gravity
‘unified field theories’  ………………………...  276-4

PART III: From  Physics  to  Cosmological  Crossroads
and  Back

6.	Cosmology, Physics and Philosophy  ……………………….    277
6.1  Reduction of Thermodynamics to Gravitation  …………     277
6.1.1    Methodology  …………………………………….     277
	                      Dialectical gravitism: Definition of the
first problems ……………………………………      278
6.1.3    Gravitation as super-asymmetry  ………………..      279
	     6.2   The Earliest and Most Universal Asymmetry:
                   Observational Evidence  …………………..………...…..  279
6.2.1	Which space expands and which does not?  …...…   282
6.3   Gravitation-Asymmetry Principle of Equivalence  …….    284
6.4   Can Intercluster Space Be Saturated With Radiation? …    287
6.5	Derivation of the Master Asymmetry
From Gravitation Theories  ………………………...….     290
6.6	Irreversibility in the New Gravitational
Cosmological Thermodynamics  …………………...….   293
6.7   Origin of Dissipation in Newtonian Fluids  ………..….    297
6.8   Terrestrial Thermodynamics  ……………………..……   299
6.9	 Connections With Classical and Continuum 
                   Thermodynamics  …………………………………..….   301
6.10	 Electromagnetic Irreversibility 
And the Master Asymmetry  …………………….....…..  303

7.   Cosmological Origin of Time and Evolution  …………….…   308
7.1	 Time: The All-Embracing Concept …………………..    309
7.2	 Cosmological Origin of Time  ……………………….     310
7.3	 Cosmological Interpretations of Newton’s
Laws of Motion  …………………………………..….    314
7.4    Gravitational Origin of Structure and Evolution  .……    316
7.5    Gravitation and the Outflow of Energy Into
Un-Saturable Space  …………………………………     322 
7.6	    Stellar Evolution  …………………………………….    324
7.7	    Terrestrial Evolution ………………………………...     325 
7.8	    Some Open Questions  ………………………………     326  
7.8.1	Microscopic T-Violation and the Master
                          Asymmetry: A possible Connection?  ………..…     327 

8.    Black Holes and the Unification of Asymmetries  ………       329
8.1    Introduction  ………………………………………..       330
8.2    Observational Evidence  ……………………………       331
8.3    Schwarzschild Solution and Black Holes  ………….       332
8.4    Black Holes Mechanics and Entropy  ………………       340
8.5    Can Black Holes “Evaporate”?  …………………….       341
8.6    Primordial Black Holes?  …………………………...       341
8.7    Back to the Melting Pot of Unification?  …………...       341

PART IV: Beyond  Present  Knowledge

9.     Havahyism – The Science of The Whole  …………..……      348
9.1	The Futile Quest for Final Answers  ………………..      349
9.2	An Example in Havahyism  ……………………..….      350
9.3	From Cosmology to Irreversible Structures 
         and Memory  ……………………………………..….     365
9.4	The Skeptic Outlook  ……………………………..….    415 









VOLUME II  [Out of print. May only be purchased as hardcover used book]

Critique of Western Thought

Introduction  …………………………………………………....      420

10.	A Few Historical Remarks on Time, Mind 
     and Symmetry  ………………………………………..…       437

11.	The Philosophy of Time & Change:
          Some Historical Notions  …………………….…………        455

12.	Structuralism and the Divided American Thought:
          A Short Glossary of Terms  ……………………………..      467

13.     Policy and Publicity: A Critique  ……………………….      483

14.     Thought-Provoking and Thought-Depressing 
          Quotations  ……………………………………………….      495

15.     Critique of Western Methodology  ……………………..      530




















VOLUME III



ONLINE DRAFT PUBLISHED on


Dec. 15, 2007 by Benjamin Gal-Or [Photon03, SCRIBD]

1.  Introduction ………………………………………..……………  11

2.  From Cosmology to the Foundations of Physics ………..…….. 29

3.  Gravity-Induced Brain-Mind Perception Vs. Everyday Life …44

4.  How Did It All Start? …………………………………………… 55

5. ‘Gravitational Selection’ Vs. 'Natural Selection' ……….……... 64

6.  Condensed World History  …………………………………...… 69

7.	The Skeptic Outlook ……………………………………….…..   94

8.  Beyond Present Knowledge ……………………………………  100

9.  CCCC Homework ……………………………………………..   103

References and Further Reading  …………………..…………...    122
Notes: Includes index.