Jul 1, 2025 02:22 PM
https://iai.tv/articles/there-are-no-par..._auid=2020
INTRO: Particle physics isn’t really about particles. Nor, it turns out, is it about fields—at least not in any traditional sense, argues NYU philosopher Jon Bain.
Despite the name, the theories at the heart of modern physics describe a reality where the classical idea of discrete, localizable, countable particles collapses—and fields fare no better. For Bain, making sense of particle physics means abandoning these outdated intuitions and embracing a more radical view: the properties we associate with particles or fields don’t exist absolutely, but emerge only in specific regimes.
What, then, underlies reality? Not objects, but structure—relations, observables, mathematical frameworks. If there’s anything fundamental, it may not be a thing at all... (MORE - details)
INTRO: Particle physics isn’t really about particles. Nor, it turns out, is it about fields—at least not in any traditional sense, argues NYU philosopher Jon Bain.
Despite the name, the theories at the heart of modern physics describe a reality where the classical idea of discrete, localizable, countable particles collapses—and fields fare no better. For Bain, making sense of particle physics means abandoning these outdated intuitions and embracing a more radical view: the properties we associate with particles or fields don’t exist absolutely, but emerge only in specific regimes.
What, then, underlies reality? Not objects, but structure—relations, observables, mathematical frameworks. If there’s anything fundamental, it may not be a thing at all... (MORE - details)