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Quantum Physics free of Folklore #1
Records of the Future - Classical Entropy, Memory, and the 'Arrow of Time'
Records of the Future starts where Galloping with Light ended: on the surface of the Moon in 1969 when Neil Armstrong (1930-2012) asks himself a series of philosophical questions about the concept of time:
1. Was Einstein right when he said that the distinction between past, present, and future is "only a stubbornly persistent illusion"?
2. What's the difference between our psychological sense of time and objective physical time?
3. Can Science prove that our instinctive sense of time flow is right? Does time really flow in a given direction?
4. What does the notion of probability have to do with time?
5. Are we unwise in believing we can influence our future?
6. Is there a rational solution to the infamous dichotomy between determinism and free will?
7. What does it really mean for a process to be reversible or irreversible?
8. What if all processes in the Universe were reversible? How fictional is reversibility?
9. What is the relation between classical Entropy and the 'Arrow of Time'?
The fact that the reader may not have a scientific education does not mean that s/he does not have the intelligence to understand profound concepts -- as long as they are presented with semantic and epistemological clarity. After all, Einstein said that Science is simply the refinement of our intuition and everyday experiences.
1. Was Einstein right when he said that the distinction between past, present, and future is "only a stubbornly persistent illusion"?
2. What's the difference between our psychological sense of time and objective physical time?
3. Can Science prove that our instinctive sense of time flow is right? Does time really flow in a given direction?
4. What does the notion of probability have to do with time?
5. Are we unwise in believing we can influence our future?
6. Is there a rational solution to the infamous dichotomy between determinism and free will?
7. What does it really mean for a process to be reversible or irreversible?
8. What if all processes in the Universe were reversible? How fictional is reversibility?
9. What is the relation between classical Entropy and the 'Arrow of Time'?
The fact that the reader may not have a scientific education does not mean that s/he does not have the intelligence to understand profound concepts -- as long as they are presented with semantic and epistemological clarity. After all, Einstein said that Science is simply the refinement of our intuition and everyday experiences.
- GenresSciencePhysicsNonfiction
198 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 2, 2013
4 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Felix Alba-Juez
13 books32 followersFelix was born in Burgos (Spain) in 1948. In 1949, his parents settled in Necochea (Argentina) where he completed his elementary and high school education. In 1966 he moved to Bahía Blanca (Argentina) where he graduated in Electrical Engineering at the 'Universidad Nacional del Sur' (UNS). In 1971, he started his academic life as Teaching Assistant of Mathematics at the UNS and, from 1974 until to 1983, he was Adjunct, Associate, and Full Professor at the 'Universidad Nacional de San Juan' in San Juan, Argentina.
In 1983, he moved to Salt Lake City, USA as Postdoctoral Fellow and soon after Research Associate for the Department of Metallurgy at the University of Utah, conducting basic Research and Development on Optimal Control of Mineral Grinding Operations.
In 1987, he left Academia and founded his own consulting company working over the years with private companies and governmental entities as DuPont, ALCOA, US Department of Transportation, NASA, and Dow Chemical. His first patent was granted in 1992 in USA, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan, protecting a technology based on ultrasonic spectroscopy for measuring particle size in industrial suspensions and emulsions.
In the period 1997-2001, Felix developed a fundamental theory for the generic mathematical modeling of multiple scattering of optical and acoustical waves interacting with highly-concentrated suspensions and emulsions.
During 2001-2007, he developed a particle size analyzer based on optical spectroscopy, and commercialized a generic simulation software tool connectable to acoustic and optical spectrometers, so as to convert them into particle size analyzers. The patent for this generic technology was granted in 2007.
In 2008, Felix sold all his intellectual property to Agilent Technologies, Inc, and currently is a scientific consultant, and writes Popular Science books on Epistemology and Philosophy of Science in English and Spanish. His first book in Spanish on the Theory of Relativity was published in 2009 by the 'Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, S.A.' in Valencia (Spain).
Since October 2013, Felix is back to Academia as a Research Professor for the Department of Metallurgical Engineering of the University of Utah. He is also working on the e-series 'Quantum Physics free of Folklore' of which 'Records of the Future' is its first volume published in January 2013.
Félix Alba-Juez Nació en Burgos (España) en 1948. En 1949, sus padres se establecieron en Necochea (Argentina) donde completó su educación primaria y secundaria. En 1966 se trasladó a Bahía Blanca donde se graduó en Ingeniería Eléctrica en la Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS) en 1974. Mientras fue estudiante, se desempeñó como Asistente de Docencia en el Departamento de Matemática de la UNS. Durante los años 1974 hasta 1983, fue Profesor Adjunto, Asociado, y Titular en la Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Argentina.
En 1983, se trasladó a USA donde se desempeñó como 'Post-Doctoral Fellow' y luego 'Research Associate' en el Departamento de Metalurgia de la Universidad de Utah, conduciendo investigación básica en teoría del control óptimo, y asesorando a estudiantes de doctorado en el control óptimo de la molienda de minerales.
En 1987, se estableció como consultor independiente trabajando para entidades como DuPont, ALCOA, Dow Chemical, 'US Department of Transportation', y NASA. Su primera patente fue otorgada en 1992 en USA, Inglaterra, Francia, Alemania y Japón, protegiendo una tecnología de medición de tamaño de partícula basada en espectroscopia de ultrasonido.
Durante 1997-2001, desarrolló una nueva teoría física para modelar genéricamente la reflexión, refracción, difracción, y absorción múltiple de ondas ópticas y ultrasónicas interactuando con suspensiones altamente concentradas.
En el período 2001-2007, desarrolló un analizador de tamaño de partícula basado en espectroscopia óptica, y comercializó una herramienta de simulación genérica para conectar a espectrómetros
In 1983, he moved to Salt Lake City, USA as Postdoctoral Fellow and soon after Research Associate for the Department of Metallurgy at the University of Utah, conducting basic Research and Development on Optimal Control of Mineral Grinding Operations.
In 1987, he left Academia and founded his own consulting company working over the years with private companies and governmental entities as DuPont, ALCOA, US Department of Transportation, NASA, and Dow Chemical. His first patent was granted in 1992 in USA, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan, protecting a technology based on ultrasonic spectroscopy for measuring particle size in industrial suspensions and emulsions.
In the period 1997-2001, Felix developed a fundamental theory for the generic mathematical modeling of multiple scattering of optical and acoustical waves interacting with highly-concentrated suspensions and emulsions.
During 2001-2007, he developed a particle size analyzer based on optical spectroscopy, and commercialized a generic simulation software tool connectable to acoustic and optical spectrometers, so as to convert them into particle size analyzers. The patent for this generic technology was granted in 2007.
In 2008, Felix sold all his intellectual property to Agilent Technologies, Inc, and currently is a scientific consultant, and writes Popular Science books on Epistemology and Philosophy of Science in English and Spanish. His first book in Spanish on the Theory of Relativity was published in 2009 by the 'Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, S.A.' in Valencia (Spain).
Since October 2013, Felix is back to Academia as a Research Professor for the Department of Metallurgical Engineering of the University of Utah. He is also working on the e-series 'Quantum Physics free of Folklore' of which 'Records of the Future' is its first volume published in January 2013.
Félix Alba-Juez Nació en Burgos (España) en 1948. En 1949, sus padres se establecieron en Necochea (Argentina) donde completó su educación primaria y secundaria. En 1966 se trasladó a Bahía Blanca donde se graduó en Ingeniería Eléctrica en la Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS) en 1974. Mientras fue estudiante, se desempeñó como Asistente de Docencia en el Departamento de Matemática de la UNS. Durante los años 1974 hasta 1983, fue Profesor Adjunto, Asociado, y Titular en la Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Argentina.
En 1983, se trasladó a USA donde se desempeñó como 'Post-Doctoral Fellow' y luego 'Research Associate' en el Departamento de Metalurgia de la Universidad de Utah, conduciendo investigación básica en teoría del control óptimo, y asesorando a estudiantes de doctorado en el control óptimo de la molienda de minerales.
En 1987, se estableció como consultor independiente trabajando para entidades como DuPont, ALCOA, Dow Chemical, 'US Department of Transportation', y NASA. Su primera patente fue otorgada en 1992 en USA, Inglaterra, Francia, Alemania y Japón, protegiendo una tecnología de medición de tamaño de partícula basada en espectroscopia de ultrasonido.
Durante 1997-2001, desarrolló una nueva teoría física para modelar genéricamente la reflexión, refracción, difracción, y absorción múltiple de ondas ópticas y ultrasónicas interactuando con suspensiones altamente concentradas.
En el período 2001-2007, desarrolló un analizador de tamaño de partícula basado en espectroscopia óptica, y comercializó una herramienta de simulación genérica para conectar a espectrómetros
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 6, 2013
If I could I would give this book 10 stars. But Goodreads policy doesn't allow it, so I have to make do with 5 stars. My reasons for 5-star rating can be found in one of the two forewords for Records of the Future.
Click to LOOK INSIDE the book sample at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A...
and have a guess which one.
If you cannot guess at one go (highly unlikely!), then this book is not for you. :)
Click to LOOK INSIDE the book sample at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A...
and have a guess which one.
If you cannot guess at one go (highly unlikely!), then this book is not for you. :)
July 12, 2020
Kudos to the editor - who did a fantastic job of stylizing the concepts and making the book easier to follow. But alas, the high frequency of these stylized terms also precisely reflected the author's utter lack of writing skills. He often abruptly jumped from concept to concept and topic to topic without sufficiently laying out the context of making these switches. This shortcoming makes some of the earlier chapters almost unreadable.
That said, as the book progressed through thermodynamics and entropy, it became easier to understand, and some of the earlier concepts, sufficiently explained or not, got wrapped into more coherent statements. But I doubt most readers will have the patience getting to those pages.
Overall, despite the author's good intentions of educating the general public, the book ended up being a bowl of alphabet soup that to a large extent neither entertains nor educates.
That said, as the book progressed through thermodynamics and entropy, it became easier to understand, and some of the earlier concepts, sufficiently explained or not, got wrapped into more coherent statements. But I doubt most readers will have the patience getting to those pages.
Overall, despite the author's good intentions of educating the general public, the book ended up being a bowl of alphabet soup that to a large extent neither entertains nor educates.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews