Tag Archives: physics

Exploring the Limits of Physics

I’ve found a publisher for my book on philosophy and physics: World Scientific. 😀 The deadline for the first draft is December 2023, so I have some busy months ahead of me. As a ‘teaser’, here is the introduction to … Continue reading

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The twin/postmen paradox

Einstein’s twin paradox is more familiar to us than we think. Then why does it feel so strange? I promised my students some extra guidance, so I wrote this post. [For a course I am currently teaching at a university … Continue reading

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Understanding the Quantum

My propoposal, “Quantum Theory Is Not As Strange As We Think (or is classical physics stranger than we think?)”, has been accepted by the organisers of the annual conference of the German Physics Society. I am proud of that! I … Continue reading

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Lecture: Newton & Einstein – physics meets philosophy

This Wednesday I’m giving a “pub lecture”: the lecture is both public and in a pub. Drop by if you’re interested! Location: “proeflokaal Faas (Zwaanshals 248, Rotterdam)” (google maps) Attendance is free; no reservation required. Time: 20.00 It is a … Continue reading

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What is the philosophy of physics?

Physics and its philosophy Physics is the search for a mathematical model which describes the phenomena around us. New physics usually starts with observing something that cannot be explained, after which a hypothesis is formulated which explains the observations. The … Continue reading

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Binnenkort in Amsterdam:

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What Is Mathematics?

Mathematics is a language. More specifically, mathematics is the language that scientists use to organise and order observations. For example, physicists may describe falling stones in terms of mathematical concepts like parabolas and perfect spheres and sociologists describe their observations … Continue reading

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PhD Dissertation

I have defended my PhD dissertation on 13/07/2017 in Utrecht. Below you can find the documents which have kept me busy for several years: Preface (English) Samenvatting (Nederlands) Gearfetting (Frysk) Complete Dissertation    

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Does Science Describe Reality?

In the philosophy of science there is a debate about whether scientific theories tell us what the world is really like, or whether scientific theories are nothing more than ‘tools’ or ‘instruments’ – useful for making predictions, but not for … Continue reading

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What Is A Dimension?

  In sci-fi movies there is often talk of “going to another dimension” as if there is some kind of barrier in between dimensions that can be crossed only if the circumstances are very special – usually the filmmakers are … Continue reading

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