1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910826637403321

Autore

Brown James Robert

Titolo

The laboratory of the mind : thought experiments in the natural sciences / / James Robert Brown

Pubbl/distr/stampa

London ; ; New York, : Routledge, 1993, c1991

ISBN

1-134-86579-1

1-134-86580-5

1-280-14862-4

9786610148622

0-203-97915-X

Edizione

[Paperback ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (190 p.)

Collana

Philosophical issues in science series

Disciplina

501

Soggetti

Physics - Philosophy

Quantum theory

Science - Methodology

Rationalism

Knowledge, Theory of

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. 165-172) and index.

Nota di contenuto

BOOK COVER; HALF-TITLE; TITLE; COPYRIGHT; DEDICATION; CONTENTS; PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; 1 ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE LABORATORY OF THE MIND; 2 THE STRUCTURE OF THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS; 3 MATHEMATICAL THINKING; 4 SEEING THE LAWS OF NATURE; 5 EINSTEIN'S BRAND OF VERIFICATIONISM; 6 QUANTUM MECHANICS: A PLATONIC INTERPRETATION; AFTERWORD; NOTES; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX

Sommario/riassunto

Thought experiments are performed in the laboratory of the mind. Beyond this metaphor it is difficult to say just what these remarkable devices for investigating nature are or how they work. Though most scientists and philosophers would admit their great importance, there has been very little serious study of them. This volume is the first book-length investigation of thought experiments. Starting with Galileo's argument on falling bodies, Brown describes numerous



examples of the most influential thought experiments from the history of science. Following this introduction to the subject, s