Jean Bricmont Livres

This selection of reviews and papers is intended to stimulate renewed reflection on the fundamental and practical aspects of probability in physics. While putting emphasis on conceptual aspects in the foundations of statistical and quantum mechanics, the book deals with the philosophy of probability in its interrelation with mathematics and physics in general. Addressing graduate students and researchers in physics and mathematics togehter with philosophers of science, the contributions avoid cumbersome technicalities in order to make the book worthwhile reading for nonspecialists and specialists alike.

This book explains, in simple terms, with a minimum of mathematics, why things can appear to be in two places at the same time, why correlations between simultaneous events occurring far apart cannot be explained by local mechanisms, and why, nevertheless, the quantum theory can be understood in terms of matter in motion. No need to worry, as some people do, whether a cat can be both dead and alive, whether the moon is there when nobody looks at it, or whether quantum systems need an observer to acquire definite properties. The author’s inimitable and even humorous style makes the book a pleasure to read while bringing a new clarity to many of the longstanding puzzles of quantum physics.

Since the end of the Cold War, the idea of human rights has been made into a justification for intervention by the world's leading economic and military powers. This work presents describes the leading role of the United States in initiating military and other interventions, but also on the obvious support given to it by European powers and NATO.

The book delves into the complexities of the Second Law of thermodynamics, exploring its implications for the arrow of time and its derivation from classical mechanics. It addresses common misconceptions surrounding entropy, questioning whether it is purely related to information and examining its connection to heat fluxes. Through insightful explanations, the author aims to clarify these fundamental concepts, making them accessible to both physicists and general readers alike.

Permeated by the author's delightful humor, this little book explains, with nearly no mathematics, the main conceptual issues associated with quantum mechanics: The issue of determinism.

Eine Kritik an der Linken, jedoch nicht aus einer rechten Perspektive. Die neue Linke schwankt zwischen zwei Haltungen zur westlichen Interventionspolitik: einerseits dem humanitären Imperialismus, der den Glauben propagiert, dass unsere „universellen Werte” uns das Recht und die Pflicht geben, in anderen Ländern einzugreifen. Diese Haltung führt oft zu schwachem oder gar keinem Widerstand gegen imperialistische Kriege, was hier kritisch betrachtet wird. Andererseits gibt es den kulturellen Relativismus, der besagt, dass es keine universelle moralische Position gibt, um andere Gesellschaften zu beurteilen. Diese Sichtweise führt zwar zu einem prinzipiellen Widerstand gegen Kriege, ist jedoch schwer zu verteidigen. Das Ziel ist es, eine dritte Position zu skizzieren, die Interventionen ablehnt, aber die Ziele, die diese Interventionen verfolgen, als wünschenswert anerkennt. Die Linke muss ihre eigenen Ideen klar formulieren und der Gesellschaft erklären, dass wir uns dem unvermeidlichen Verlust der Vorherrschaft anpassen müssen. Der humanitäre Imperialismus stellt jedoch ein zentrales Hindernis für dieses Vorhaben dar.