Re: Science and religion: two ways of knowing

From: Steve Bishop (stevebishop_uk@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon Apr 01 2002 - 16:18:26 EST

  • Next message: Keith B Miller: "Re: Science and religion: two ways of knowing"

    The Bohr quote:

    "There is no quantum world. There is only an abstract quantum physical
    description. It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out
    how nature is. Physics concerns what we can say about Nature."

    Can be found in the following:

    A. Petersen "The philosophy of Niels Bohr" The Bulletin of the Atomic
    Scientists, September 1963, p. 8
    (http://tonno.tesre.bo.cnr.it/~foschini/wisdom.html)

    Heinz R. Pagels,The Cosmic Code, p. 85

    Euan Squires, The Mystery of the Quantum World, Bristol: Institute of
    Physics Publishing, 1994, p. 117-8.

    However, I don't know where the original quote came from. The original
    context it seems was a defence of the Copenhagen Interpretation and
    anti-realism.

    Steve

    >Shuan wrote: "A fellow named Weinberg wrote it somewhere, but I can't track
    >it down). Science is not the search for all truth, just the truth about the
    >physical world."
    >
    >My notes say it was Neils Bohr, and the quotation is "It is wrong to think
    >that the task of physics is to find out how nature is. Physics concerns
    >only
    >what we can SAY about nature."
    >
    >At one time I had a citation on this but it has been misplaced. Does anyone
    >have it?
    >
    >Burgy
    >

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