Jimena Canales Knihy

"Thought experiments have long been a vital part of the creative, intellectual process in modern science-and, by extension, so have "demons." Demons are hypothetical beings imagined by scientists to perform specific roles within thought experiments-embodying special powers or abilities and personifying tough intellectual challenges or highlighting apparent paradoxes. They are used as a way of exploring what would happen if one fiddled with or upset the sturdiest of physical laws, or experimented with physical or natural processes or phenomena in ways that the scientist imagining them otherwise could not. As such, they help clarify the limits of what is possible in the physical world, or show weaknesses in our understanding of an observable phenomenon, or highlight cracks in a hypothesis or theory. Unencumbered by the physicality of our concrete world, demons are thus useful to scientists in their intellectual quest to understand how nature works, and in the creative exploration of the frontiers of science"--

On April 6, 1922, Albert Einstein and Henri Bergson engaged in a public debate in Paris about the nature of time. Einstein dismissed Bergson's view as a subjective, psychological concept incompatible with the objective realities of physics. In contrast, Bergson, a renowned philosopher, argued that time should not be solely defined by scientific parameters, claiming that Einstein's theory represented a metaphysical overlay that overlooked the intuitive essence of time. This pivotal confrontation reshaped our understanding of time and deepened the divide between science and the humanities, a rift that continues to this day. Jimena Canales explores the groundbreaking ideas of both thinkers, detailing their dramatic clash and its lasting impact throughout the twentieth century. The debate elicited responses from influential figures like Bertrand Russell and Martin Heidegger and influenced movements such as American pragmatism and quantum mechanics. Canales highlights how contemporary technologies, including wristwatches, radio, and film, influenced public perceptions of time and intensified the debate. She also reflects on how both Einstein and Bergson, later in life, contemplated each other's legacies against the backdrop of significant historical events. This narrative illustrates how the concept of scientific truth was scrutinized in a century marked by evolving notions of time.