Episode · StarTalk Radio · 2025-11-11
Books mentioned on How Quantum Physics Complicates Objective Truth, with Elise Crull
Elise Crull recommended The Physicists by Daniel J. Kevles, and discussed Principles of Philosophy by Rene Descartes, Mathematical principles of natural philosophy by Isaac Newton, Meditations on First Philosophy by René Descartes, The elegant universe by Brian Greene, and The Einstein Paradox by Guido Bacciagaluppi and others.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Principles of Philosophy
Discussed“So it's kind of a weird thing but he wrote his his magnumopus his great work is called the principles of philosophy. And Newton is criticizing that particular book when he writes the principles the natur the mathematical principles of natural philosophy.”
Where to get it
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Mathematical principles of natural philosophy
Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy by Isaac Newton stands as a foundational text of classical mechanics, laying out the laws of motion and universal gravitation.
Discussed“And Newton is criticizing that particular book when he writes the principles the natur the mathematical principles of natural philosophy. Wait, did I get the title right?”
Where to get it
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Meditations on First Philosophy
Meditations on First Philosophy by René Descartes is a foundational philosophical text exploring radical skepticism, the nature of reality, and the existence of God.
Discussed“which book has the I think therefore I am that is in the meditations which was published a few years before and he was already trying to go there. So book one of the principles is like a polished version of the meditations.”
Where to get it
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The Physicists
The Physicists is a historical study by Daniel J.
Recommended“I mean I'm going to jump all the way to the Cold War era and if people are interested like there is good history on this and one book in particular is the physicists by Daniel Kevlas.”
Where to get it
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The elegant universe
The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene is a bestselling exploration of string theory, quantum mechanics, and the quest for the ultimate physical theory of reality.
Discussed“So Brian Green's bestselling book, The Elegant Universe, just in all fairness to him, that was not his original title. What was it?”
Where to get it
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The Einstein Paradox
Discussed“Okay, thanks for reminding me that the Einstein paradox. There's an academic. It's an academic text. Academic text. It does presume some um acquaintance with quantum physics. Um but just, you know, a scooch quantum the Einstein paradox. the debate of non-locality and incompleteness in 1935.”
Where to get it
