Reality is Not What It Seems

The Journey to Quantum Gravity

Carlo Rovelli 2017 . Cedar Mill 503.143

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• Author of "Seven Brief Lessons on Physics"

Idea is that spacetime is quantized, connection graphs between nodes at Planck scale. "Big bang" is "big bounce"

• p059 Maxwell's equations: dF = 0, d*F = J (?? divergence and curl of "field" ?? )

• p157 John Wheeler audio

• p182 "time does not exist" at the Planck scale, time is relational at large scale
• p220 Possible loop quantum gravity prediction of background radiation spectrum

  • graph vs. k_(co-moving) which ranges from 0 to 20 ... and what is k_(co-moving)?

  • A. Ashtekar, I. Agullo, W. Nelson ... probably fig. 1 of Quantum gravity extension of the inflationary scenario , 2012

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Seven Brief Lessons on Physics

Hillsboro 530 Rovelli 2016

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Quick fluff ... page 48 shows "bounce" from prior phase. Would that bounce homogenize the universe ... instead of inflation?

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There Are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important Than Kindness

West Slope Library 500 Rovelli 2018

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Sorta interesting essays, literary mostly

• Aristotle the Scientist; not as wrong as Galileo's attacks. Light objects do fall slower ... in air

• Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita and lepedopterist
• Newton's alchemy - notes but not publication. Not secrets, instead nothing found convincing
• Copernicus / 1977 youth movement / Brecht Galileo / Dante universe model / Statistical Outliers

• Bruno de Finetti subjective probability

• Does Science Need Philosophy? dismissing philosophy is not science, but philosophy

• Other Minds (Octopus)

• Chandrasekhar, hard work more important than intelligence
• When Einstein learned of his errors, he changed his mind
• Archimedes "The Sand Reckoner", method to express very large numbers (largest named number was myriad, 10,000
• Inequality, Rousseau / Ancient Wars / Politics / National Identity / Darwin / Curie
• Lemaître ... cosmology closest to religion

• Giacomo Leopardi wrote History of Astronomy age 15, poet

• Lucretius De rerum natura | David Lewis, plurality of worlds

• Naturalism | Nāgārjuna

• Mein Kampf - fear of being weak

• Black Holes: Einstein and Schwarzchild / Hawking and Heat / Collapse (and time dilated quantum rebound?)
• Kip Thorne and gravitational waves | Hawking radiation | Roger Penrose | Baby Jesus and presents; peace instead?
• Global Warming | Churchill and Science | Infinite Divisibility of Space, Zeno's (false) paradox

• Ramon Llull | Are We Free? (we don't know how to know)

• LSD | Why I am an Atheist (mystery is) | Hadza people

• A Day in Africa | The Festive Season is Over | This Short Life Feels Beautiful To Us ( COVID )