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The Stuff the World is Made of: Physics and Reality

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Einstein Meets Magritte: An Interdisciplinary Reflection

Abstract

The word Physics comes from the Greek word ‘phusis’ which means ‘that what comes into existence’, and itself is derived from the Greek verb ‘phuoo’ which means ‘to create, to come into existence’.

Absolute space, in its own nature, without relation to anything external, remains always similar and immovable. Absolute, true, and mathematical time, of itself, and from its own nature, flows equally without relation to anything external.

Isaac Newton, 1642–1726

An intelligence that would know at a certain moment all the forces existing in nature and the situations of the bodies that compose nature, and if it would be powerful enough to analyze all these data, would be able to grasp in one formula the movements of the biggest bodies of the Universe as well as of the lightest atom.

Simon Laplace, 1749–1827

Because of the relativity of the concept of simultaneity, space and time melt together to a four dimensional continuum.

Albert Einstein, 1879–1955

Everything is still unclear to me, but my feeling is getting stronger everyday. I believe that in the scheme that I am developing the particles will not move anymore on orbits, and we shall have to reconsider fundamental classical concepts.

Werner Heisenberg, 1901–1976

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center Leo Apostel, Brussels Free University, Brussels, Belgium

    Diederik Aerts

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  1. Diederik Aerts
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center Leo Apostel, Brussels Free University, Brussels, Belgium

    Diederik Aerts , Jan Broekaert  & Ernest Mathijs ,  & 

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Aerts, D. (1999). The Stuff the World is Made of: Physics and Reality. In: Aerts, D., Broekaert, J., Mathijs, E. (eds) Einstein Meets Magritte: An Interdisciplinary Reflection. Einstein Meets Magritte: An Interdisciplinary Reflection on Science, Nature, Art, Human Action and Society, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4704-0_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4704-0_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5979-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-4704-0

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