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Preface | |
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Introduction | |
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Physics and Philosophy | |
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Why This Will Require Both Physics and Philosophy | |
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Standards of Proof | |
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From Physics to Philosophy | |
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Useful Philosophical Concepts | |
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Philosophical Issues | |
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Philosophical Evidence | |
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Appearance and Reality | |
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Scientific Observation | |
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The Conceptual Influence | |
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The Physical Influence | |
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Nature as It Is | |
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Philosophical Arguments about Realism | |
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Return to Bohr | |
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The Special Theory of Relativity | |
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The Principle of Relativity | |
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Space and Time | |
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Relative and Absolute Properties | |
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The Foundations of the Special Theory of Relativity | |
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Consequences of the Absolute Speed of Light | |
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The Relativity of Simultaneity | |
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Time Dilation | |
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Length Contraction | |
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Mitch's Paradox | |
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Nothing Can Go Faster Than the Speed of Light | |
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Summary of the Special Theory of Relativity | |
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The General Theory of Relativity | |
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General Covariance and the Principle of Equivalence | |
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Consequences of General Covariance and the Principle of Equivalence | |
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The Bending of Light | |
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Gravitational Red-shift (Time Dilation) | |
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The Curvature of Spacetime | |
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Mach's Principle | |
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Summary of the General Theory of Relativity | |
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Relativity and Realism | |
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Two Separate Questions | |
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The Way Nature Is | |
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How Do We Know the Theory is True? | |
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Summary | |
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Quantum Mechanics | |
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Probability, Cause and Effect, and Determinism | |
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Particles and Waves | |
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The State Function, Complementarity, and the Uncertainty Principle | |
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Spin and the EPR Experiment | |
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Bell's Proof | |
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Summary of Quantum Mechanics | |
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Quantum Mechanics and Realism | |
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What to Make of Bell's Proof | |
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The Quantum/Classical Distinction | |
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The Copenhagen Interpretation | |
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The Measurement Problem | |
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Alternative Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics | |
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The Many-words Interpretation | |
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The Consciousness Interpretation | |
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It's All Quantum Mechanics | |
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Bohm's Theory | |
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Summary | |
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Realistic Realm | |
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Two Kinds of Questions: Metaphysics and Epistemology | |
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The Metaphysical Issue | |
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The Epistemological Issue | |
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It's Not the End of the World | |
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References and Suggested Reading | |
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Philosophical Background | |
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Relativity | |
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Quantum Mechanics | |
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Historical and Biographical Accounts | |
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Primary Sources | |