Modern Physics for Humanities Scholars

M. Strauss

Ivan S. Maksymov

On the surface, behavioural data science and physics seem to be two disparate fields of research. However, a closer examination of problems solved by them reveals that they are uniquely related to one another. Exemplified by the theories of quantum mind, cognition and decision-making, this unique relationship serves as the topic of this chapter. Surveying the current academic journal papers and scholarly monographs, we present an alternative vision of the role of quantum mechanics in the modern studies of human perception, behaviour and decision-making. To that end, we mostly aim to answer the ‘ how ’ question, deliberately avoiding complex mathematical concepts but developing a technically simple computational code that the readers can modify to design their own quantum-inspired models. We also present several practical examples of the application of the computation code and outline several plausible scenarios, where quantum models based on the proposed do-it-yourself model kit can help understand the differences between the behaviour of individuals and social groups.

Gerrit Smith

Ivan S. Maksymov

On the surface, behavioural science and physics seem to be two disparate fields of research. However, a closer examination of problems solved by them reveals that they are uniquely related to one another. Exemplified by the theories of quantum mind, cognition and decision-making, this unique relationship serves as the topic of this chapter. Surveying the current academic journal papers and scholarly monographs, we present an alternative vision of the role of quantum mechanics in the modern studies of human perception, behaviour and decision-making. To that end, we mostly aim to answer the 'how' question, deliberately avoiding complex mathematical concepts but developing a technically simple computational code that the readers can modify to design their own quantum-inspired models. We also present several practical examples of the application of the computation code and outline several plausible scenarios, where quantum models based on the proposed do-it-yourself model kit can help understand the differences between the behaviour of individuals and social groups.

Shvan Qadir Mahmood Karim, Noor Hadi Kareem, Ali Hashim Hadi Jweid +1 more

John Yates

McTaggart's ideas on the unreality of time as expressed in "The Nature of Existence" have retained great interest for many years for scholars, academics and other philosophers. In this essay, there is a brief discussion which mentions some of the high points of this philosophical interest, and goes on to apply his ideas to modern physics and neuroscience. It does not discuss McTaggart's C and D series, but does emphasise how the use of derived versions of both his A and B series can be of great virtue in discussing both the abstract physics of time, and the present and future importance of McTaggart's ideas to the subject of time. Indeed an experiment using human volunteers and dynamic systems modelling which was carried out is described, which illustrates this fact. The Many Bubble Interpretation, which also derives from McTaggart's ideas, is discussed and various examples of its use and effectiveness are referred to. The Schrodinger Cat paradox is essentially resolved in principle, the quantum Zeno effect interpretable, Kwiat's recent result referred to, and the newly discovered reverse Stickgold effect described. \n