The Dome: An Unexpectedly Simple Failure of Determinism

Newton’s equations of motion tell us that a mass at rest at the apex of a dome with the shape specified here can spontaneously move. It has been suggested that this indeterminism should be discounted since it draws on an incomplete rendering of Newtonian physics, or it is “unphysical,” or it employs...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPhilosophy of science Vol. 75; no. 5; pp. 786 - 798
Main Author Norton, John D.
Format Journal Article Conference Proceeding
LanguageEnglish
Published Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01.12.2008
University of Chicago Press
Cambridge University Press
Subjects
Analytical philosophy
Curvature
Determinism
Epistemology. Philosophy of science. Theory of knowledge
History of science
Idealization
Indeterminism
Kinetics
Laws of Motion
Mass
Mechanics
Motion control
Newtonianism
Philosophy
Philosophy of science
Physical theory
Physics
Science philosophy
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Summary:Newton’s equations of motion tell us that a mass at rest at the apex of a dome with the shape specified here can spontaneously move. It has been suggested that this indeterminism should be discounted since it draws on an incomplete rendering of Newtonian physics, or it is “unphysical,” or it employs illicit idealizations. I analyze and reject each of these reasons.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
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ISSN:0031-8248
1539-767X
DOI:10.1086/594524