Along the lines that Lee is mentioning with fields being the first
class objects, Bruce Sherwood may be able to illuminate some of the
current thinking in Quantum Field Theory and how interpretations are
made with respect to forces.
Bruce?
-Stephen
> ============================================================
On Fri, Apr 19, 2013 at 1:36 PM, <[hidden email]> wrote:
> Russ asks:
>
>> Is there a mechanistic-type explanation for how forces work? For example,
>> two electrons repel each other. How does that happen? Other than saying
>> that there are force fields that exert forces, how does the electromagnetic
>> force accomplish its effects. What is the interface/link/connection between
>> the force (field) and the objects on which it acts. Or is all we can say is
>> that it just happens: it's a physics primitive?
>
> I have the impression that the best you can say is that fields act on fields; fields are (the
> only) first-class objects, and what you're calling "objects" are at best second-class--they
> are epiphenomena of fields (or, of *the* field).
>
> There is (or was when I last tried to look into this, about 40 years ago) a concept of
> "current" (which I suppose is a generalization of our familiar "electric current", but if so
> is such a generalization that I was unable to see the connection at all) which was in some way
> involved with interactions of fields. Maybe a Google search on current and Jakiw would turn
> up something useful, but probably not.
>
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