World in Process

Creativity and Interconnection in the New Physics

By John A. Jungerman

Subjects: Science Education
Series: SUNY series in Constructive Postmodern Thought
Paperback : 9780791447505, 266 pages, November 2000
Hardcover : 9780791447499, 266 pages, November 2000

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Table of contents

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction to SUNY series in Constructive Postmodern Thought

1. Process Philosophy

 

Introduction
Principal Ideas
Summary

 

2. Ideas from the Special and General Theories of Relativity

 

Ideas from the Special Theory of Relativity
Ideas from the General Theory of Relativity
Science as Process
Process Thought and Relativity

 

3. Microworld, Part I: Waves and Particles

 

Evidence that Light Is a Wave
Evidence that Light Is a Particle
Light: A Wave or a Particle?
Matter Waves Too!
Process Thought and the Nature of Light

 

4. The Microworld, Part II: Quantum Mechanics

 

A Brief History of Atomic Models and Quantum Mechanics
Concepts Resulting from Quantum Mechanics
Two Applications of Quantum Mechanics
Relativistic Quantum Mechanics
Process Thought and Quantum Mechanics

 

5. The Microworld, Part III: High-Energy Physics

 

Constituents of Matter
The Four Forces
The Emptiness of "Solid" Matter
Process Thought and High-Energy Physics

 

6. The Macroworlds, Part I: Complex Systems

 

Entropy and the Arrow of Time
Nonlinear Systems
Chaos
Process Thought and Complex Systems

 

7. The Macroworld, Part II: Cosmology

 

The Big Bang
Evidence Supporting the Big Bang Hypothesis
Problems with the Big Bang Hypothesis
Answers to the Problems of Flatness and Isotropy: Inflation
Hawking's Theory
Galaxy and Stellar Formation
Cosmology and Process Thought

 

8. Cosmology and Divinity

 

The Case for Divine Guidance
Process Theology
Limitations of Process Theology
Summary of Principal Ideas

 

9. Epilogue: A World in Process

 

A Look Back
Science and Metaphysics as Process
A Process Worldview

 

Notes

Glossary

Suggested Additional Reading

Note on Supporting Center

Index

Shows how modern physics supports basic claims of process philosophy.

Description

World in Process provides not only an up-to-date description of the ideas of modern physics and cosmology, but also connects those ideas to process thought. To make these connections, a brief introduction to process philosophy is provided so that the new physics and process thought can be integrated.

At the University of California, Davis, John A. Jungerman is Professor Emeritus of Physics and Founding Director of the Crocker Nuclear Physics Laboratory. He is the coauthor (with Paul P. Craig) of Nuclear Arms Race: Technology and Society.

Reviews

"Jungerman has done us a great service. The book is useful and a good introduction to the topic. " — C. Robert Mesle, author of Process Theology: A Basic Introduction

"The author masterfully relates Whiteheadian ideas to modern physics and vice-versa. A conscientious and entertaining review of the broad sweep of physics history is blended with insightful connections to spiritual aspects of process philosophy. " — Geoffrey Chew, University of California, Berkeley

"Jungerman provides a systematic and fascinating overview of modern physics, with many accessible examples, illustrating many of the major results of the 'new' physics, and does so in a way that carefully illustrates how process-relational themes permeate the field in many ways that are generally neglected or masked by efforts to translate the language into classical Newtonian forms. " — Timothy E. Eastman, Plasmas International