Re: More Really Is Different
Posted by
Jack Leibowitz on
Oct 19, 2008; 10:53pm
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/More-Really-Is-Different-tp1346669p1353287.html
P.W. Anderson's long-standing observations are
undeniable. This doesn't exclude recognition of the value of reductionist
efforts to get at scientific understanding. They go hand-in-hand. One example
of the value of reductionism can be seen in the recent recognition (Nobel
Prize) of three Japanese physicists . They explained how it happens that matter
"overbalances" antimatter in the early universe, to make posssible our matter
universe-- and creatures such as ourselves able to contemplate such
questions.
Jack
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2008 2:04
PM
Subject: [FRIAM] More Really Is
Different
All,
Being geographically separate from the corpus of
folks on this list, the reason for this email may have already been discussed,
debunked, railed at, lauded, etc. But since I don't think I've seen it on the
mailing list I thought I'd take a swing at passing it on. If I've made a
mis-step, my apoligies.
http://arxiv.org/abs/0809.0151
More Really is Different
In 1972, P.W.Anderson suggested
that `More is Different', meaning that complex physical systems may exhibit
behavior that cannot be understood only in terms of the laws governing their
microscopic constituents. We strengthen this claim by proving that many
macroscopic observable properties of a simple class of physical systems (the
infinite periodic Ising lattice) cannot in general be derived from a
microscopic description. This provides evidence that emergent behavior occurs
in such systems, and indicates that even if a `theory of everything' governing
all microscopic interactions were discovered, the understanding of macroscopic
order is likely to require additional insights.
And commentary from
NewScientist:
http://tiny.pl/srp2-Ian
--
___________________________________
Ian P. Cook
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FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at
http://www.friam.org