MCMP – Philosophy of Physics

Einstein's approach to Quantum Gravity


Listen Later

Dennis Lehmkuhl (Wuppertal) gives a talk at the MCMP workshop "Quantum Gravity in Perspective" (31 May-1 June, 2013) titled "Einstein's approach to Quantum Gravity". Abstract: It is common knowledge that despite being a pioneer of the early quantum theory, Einstein opposed the probabilistic interpretation of the new quantum mechanics of 1925 / 1926, and he would have opposed any approach of a quantization of gravity relying on this interpretation. What is less well-known is that Einstein had an alternative approach that bears some similarities to more recent ideas to general relativize quantum mechancis rather than quantizing general relativity. Einstein identified discreteness in nature with quantum theory: the existence of photons, the quantisation of electric charge, etc. Roughly speaking, his idea was that these quantum features of reality could be derived from a generally covariant field theory of gravitation and electromagnetism by finding overdetermined partial differential equations which allow for solutions capable of represtenting quantum particles. If this were to be achieved, the groundfloor ontology of the world would have turned out to be one of classical fields described by generally covariant partial differential field equations, while the quantum would only enter on the level of the solutions to these equations. The talk reviews the above research programme of Einsteins, and reflects on whether it can lend some inspiration to modern quantum gravity research.
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

MCMP – Philosophy of PhysicsBy MCMP Team

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

3 ratings


More shows like MCMP – Philosophy of Physics

View all
Hegel lectures by Robert Brandom, LMU Munich by Robert Brandom, Axel Hutter

Hegel lectures by Robert Brandom, LMU Munich

7 Listeners

MCMP – Philosophy of Science by MCMP Team

MCMP – Philosophy of Science

1 Listeners

Strings Conference 2012 (LMU) by Prof. Dr. Dieter Lüst et al.

Strings Conference 2012 (LMU)

0 Listeners

MCMP – Mathematical Philosophy (Archive 2011/12) by MCMP Team

MCMP – Mathematical Philosophy (Archive 2011/12)

6 Listeners

Sommerfeld Lecture Series (ASC) by The Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics (ASC)

Sommerfeld Lecture Series (ASC)

0 Listeners

Sommerfeld Theory Colloquium (ASC) by Michael Haack

Sommerfeld Theory Colloquium (ASC)

2 Listeners

Theoretical Physics Schools (ASC) by The Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics (ASC)

Theoretical Physics Schools (ASC)

2 Listeners

LMU Rechtsphilosophie by Prof. Dr. jur. Dr. jur. h.c. mult. Bernd Schünemann

LMU Rechtsphilosophie

0 Listeners

Women Thinkers in Antiquity and the Middle Ages - SD by Peter Adamson

Women Thinkers in Antiquity and the Middle Ages - SD

0 Listeners

Robinson's Podcast by Robinson Erhardt

Robinson's Podcast

261 Listeners