Figuring Physics February Answer

Does Physics Answer Metaphysical Questions?

According to logical positivism, so the story goes, metaphysical questions are meaningless, since they do not admit of empirical confirmation or refutation. However, the logical positivists did not in fact reject as meaningless all questions about for example, the structure of space and time. Rather, key figures such as Reichenbach and Schlick believed that scientific theories often presupposed...

Figuring on fair use

Figuring Out Art History

World population and the number of cultural artifacts are growing exponentially or faster, while cultural interaction approaches the fidelity of a global nervous system. Every day hundreds of millions of images are loaded into social networks by users all over the world. As this myriad of new artifacts veils the view into the past, like city lights covering the night sky, it is easy to forget t...

Figuring Space by Time

Sensory information is encoded both in space and in time. Spatial encoding is based on the identity of activated receptors, while temporal encoding is based on the timing of activation. In order to generate accurate internal representations of the external world, the brain must decode both types of encoded information, even when processing stationary stimuli. We review here evidence in support ...

Figuring the shape of the electron

microrobot with a gas combustion mechanism and buoyant outriggers. These design components stabilized the microrobot, overcoming the water’s surface tension to allow take-off. A surfactant coating enabled diving, and a flapping-wing configuration provided functional propulsion for both air and water environments. The microrobot could land on an elastic surface, hover in air, submerge into water...