The Philosophical Impact of Contemporary Physics

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Publisher : Princeton, N.J. : Van Nostrand
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 444 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis The Philosophical Impact of Contemporary Physics by : Milič Čapek

Download or read book The Philosophical Impact of Contemporary Physics written by Milič Čapek and published by Princeton, N.J. : Van Nostrand. This book was released on 1961 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The general character of classical physics - The concept of time - The concept of matter - The concept of motion - The main features of the corpuscular-kinetic view of nature - Some collateral trends : dynamism, energetism, fluid theories - The implicit elimination of time in classical physics - The negation of instantaneous space - The modification of the concept of time - The evolution of the concept of matter - The end of the laplacian illusion - The reinstatement of becoming in the physical world.

The New Aspects of Time

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Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9400921233
Total Pages : 368 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (9 download)

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Book Synopsis The New Aspects of Time by : M. Capek

Download or read book The New Aspects of Time written by M. Capek and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At last his students and colleagues, his friends and his friendly critics, his fellow-scientist and fellow-philosophers, have the works of Milic Capek before them in one volume, aside from his books of course. Now the development of his interests and his thoughts, always led centrally by his concern to understand 'the philosophical impact of contemporary physics', becomes clear. In the nearly 90 essays and papers, and in his book on the philosophical impact as well as his classical restatement of process philosophy in his Bergson and Modern Physics, Professor Capek establishes one of the fundamental alternatives to the comprehension of human experience, and thereby of the world. Capek is certainly to be seen with respect and admiration, for he has dealt with the deepest and toughest of scientific as well as metaphysical problems: his major efforts in the philosophy of mind focussed upon the time of experience, and in the philosophy of physics focussed upon continuity, causality and again the temporal, now in the world-picture.

Bergson and Modern Physics

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Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9401030960
Total Pages : 431 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis Bergson and Modern Physics by : M. Capek

Download or read book Bergson and Modern Physics written by M. Capek and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 431 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Milic Capek has devoted his scholarship to the history and philosophy of modern physics. With impeccable care, he has mastered the epistemologi cal and scientific developments by working through the papers, treatises, correspondence of physicists since Kant, and likewise he has put his learning and critical skill into the related philosophical literature. Coming from his original scientific career with a philosophy doctorate from the Charles University in Prague, Capek has ranged beyond a narrowly defined philosophy of physics into general epistemology of the natural sciences and to the full historical evolution of these matters. He has ex pounded his views on these matters in a number of articles and, systema tically, in his book The Philosophical Impact of Contemporary PhYSiCS, published in 1961 and reprinted with two new appendices in 1969. His particular gift for many of his readers and students lies in the great period from the mid-nineteenth century through the foundations of the physics and philosophy of the twentieth, and within this spectacular time, Profes sor Capek has become a principal expositor and sympathetic critic of the philosophy of Henri Bergson. He joins a distinguished group of scholars -physicists and philosophers -who have been stimulated to some of their most profound and imaginative thought by Bergson's metaphysical and psychological work: Cassirer, Meyerson, de Broglie, Metz, Jankelevitch, Zawirski, and in recent years, Costa de Beauregard, Watanabe, Blanche, and others.

Concepts of Mass in Contemporary Physics and Philosophy

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Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 1400823781
Total Pages : 176 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (8 download)

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Book Synopsis Concepts of Mass in Contemporary Physics and Philosophy by : Max Jammer

Download or read book Concepts of Mass in Contemporary Physics and Philosophy written by Max Jammer and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2009-06-08 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The concept of mass is one of the most fundamental notions in physics, comparable in importance only to those of space and time. But in contrast to the latter, which are the subject of innumerable physical and philosophical studies, the concept of mass has been but rarely investigated. Here Max Jammer, a leading philosopher and historian of physics, provides a concise but comprehensive, coherent, and self-contained study of the concept of mass as it is defined, interpreted, and applied in contemporary physics and as it is critically examined in the modern philosophy of science. With its focus on theories proposed after the mid-1950s, the book is the first of its kind, covering the most recent experimental and theoretical investigations into the nature of mass and its role in modern physics, from the realm of elementary particles to the cosmology of galaxies. The book begins with an analysis of the persistent difficulties of defining inertial mass in a noncircular manner and discusses the related question of whether mass is an observational or a theoretical concept. It then studies the notion of mass in special relativity and the delicate problem of whether the relativistic rest mass is the only legitimate notion of mass and whether it is identical with the classical (Newtonian) mass. This is followed by a critical analysis of the different derivations of the famous mass-energy relationship E = mc2 and its conflicting interpretations. Jammer then devotes a chapter to the distinction between inertial and gravitational mass and to the various versions of the so-called equivalence principle with which Newton initiated his Principia but which also became the starting point of Einstein's general relativity, which supersedes Newtonian physics. The book concludes with a presentation of recently proposed global and local dynamical theories of the origin and nature of mass. Destined to become a much-consulted reference for philosophers and physicists, this book is also written for the nonprofessional general reader interested in the foundations of physics.

Philosophy of Physics

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Author :
Publisher : Elsevier
ISBN 13 : 0080466656
Total Pages : 1522 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (84 download)

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Book Synopsis Philosophy of Physics by :

Download or read book Philosophy of Physics written by and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2006-11-26 with total page 1522 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ambition of this volume is twofold: to provide a comprehensive overview of the field and to serve as an indispensable reference work for anyone who wants to work in it. For example, any philosopher who hopes to make a contribution to the topic of the classical-quantum correspondence will have to begin by consulting Klaas Landsman’s chapter. The organization of this volume, as well as the choice of topics, is based on the conviction that the important problems in the philosophy of physics arise from studying the foundations of the fundamental theories of physics. It follows that there is no sharp line to be drawn between philosophy of physics and physics itself. Some of the best work in the philosophy of physics is being done by physicists, as witnessed by the fact that several of the contributors to the volume are theoretical physicists: viz., Ellis, Emch, Harvey, Landsman, Rovelli, ‘t Hooft, the last of whom is a Nobel laureate. Key features - Definitive discussions of the philosophical implications of modern physics - Masterly expositions of the fundamental theories of modern physics - Covers all three main pillars of modern physics: relativity theory, quantum theory, and thermal physics - Covers the new sciences grown from these theories: for example, cosmology from relativity theory; and quantum information and quantum computing, from quantum theory - Contains special Chapters that address crucial topics that arise in several different theories, such as symmetry and determinism - Written by very distinguished theoretical physicists, including a Nobel Laureate, as well as by philosophers - Definitive discussions of the philosophical implications of modern physics - Masterly expositions of the fundamental theories of modern physics - Covers all three main pillars of modern physics: relativity theory, quantum theory, and thermal physics - Covers the new sciences that have grown from these theories: for example, cosmology from relativity theory; and quantum information and quantum computing, from quantum theory - Contains special Chapters that address crucial topics that arise in several different theories, such as symmetry and determinism - Written by very distinguished theoretical physicists, including a Nobel Laureate, as well as by philosophers

On Physics and Philosophy

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Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 069124023X
Total Pages : 518 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (912 download)

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Book Synopsis On Physics and Philosophy by : Bernard d'Espagnat

Download or read book On Physics and Philosophy written by Bernard d'Espagnat and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-12-07 with total page 518 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Among the great ironies of quantum mechanics is not only that its conceptual foundations seem strange even to the physicists who use it, but that philosophers have largely ignored it. Here, Bernard d'Espagnat argues that quantum physics--by casting doubts on once hallowed concepts such as space, material objects, and causality-demands serious reconsideration of most of traditional philosophy. On Physics and Philosophy is an accessible, mathematics-free reflection on the philosophical meaning of the quantum revolution, by one of the world's leading authorities on the subject. D'Espagnat presents an objective account of the main guiding principles of contemporary physics-in particular, quantum mechanics-followed by a look at just what consequences these should imply for philosophical thinking. The author begins by describing recent discoveries in quantum physics such as nonseparability, and explicating the significance of contemporary developments such as decoherence. Then he proceeds to set various philosophical theories of knowledge--such as materialism, realism, Kantism, and neo-Kantism--against the conceptual problems quantum theory raises. His overall conclusion is that while the physical implications of quantum theory suggest that scientific knowledge will never truly describe mind-independent reality, the notion of such an ultimate reality--one we can never access directly or rationally and which he calls "veiled reality"--remains conceptually necessary nonetheless.

The Philosophy of Physics

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Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1509509402
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (95 download)

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Book Synopsis The Philosophy of Physics by : Dean Rickles

Download or read book The Philosophy of Physics written by Dean Rickles and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-08-01 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Does the future exist already? What is space? Are time machines physically possible? What is quantum mechanical reality like? Are there many universes? Is there a ‘true’ geometry of the universe? Why does there appear to be an arrow of time? Do humans play a special role in the world? In this unique introductory book, Dean Rickles guides the reader through these and other core questions that keep philosophers of physics up at night. He discusses the three pillars of modern physics (quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and the theories of relativity), in addition to more cutting-edge themes such as econophysics, quantum gravity, quantum computers, and gauge theories. The book’s approach is based on the idea that philosophy of physics is a kind of ‘interpretation game’ in which we try to map physical theories onto our world. But the rules of this game often lead to a multiplicity of possible victors: rarely do we encounter a simple answer. The Philosophy of Physics offers a highly accessible introduction to the latest developments in this exciting field. Written in a lively style, with many visual examples, it will appeal to beginner-level students in both physics and philosophy.

Contemporary Physics and the Limits of Knowledge

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Publisher : Rutgers University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780813530772
Total Pages : 284 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (37 download)

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Book Synopsis Contemporary Physics and the Limits of Knowledge by : Morton Tavel

Download or read book Contemporary Physics and the Limits of Knowledge written by Morton Tavel and published by Rutgers University Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tavel (physics, Vassar College) developed the text from a course for nonscience majors over many years. He draws analogies from the arts, humanities, and social sciences, and keeps the technical and mathematical details to the bare minimum. He does not provide a bibliography. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

Philosophy of Physics: A Very Short Introduction

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Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0192545493
Total Pages : 152 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (925 download)

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Book Synopsis Philosophy of Physics: A Very Short Introduction by : David Wallace

Download or read book Philosophy of Physics: A Very Short Introduction written by David Wallace and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021-04-22 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Philosophy of physics is concerned with the deepest theories of modern physics - notably quantum theory, our theories of space, time and symmetry, and thermal physics - and their strange, even bizarre conceptual implications. A deeper understanding of these theories helps both physics, through pointing the way to new theories and new applications, and philosophy, through seeing how our worldview has to change in the light of what we learn from physics. This Very Short Introduction explores the core topics in philosophy of physics through three key themes. The first - the nature of space, time, and motion - begins by considering the philosophical puzzles that led Isaac Newton to propose the existence of absolute space, and then discusses how those puzzles change - but do not disappear - in the context of the revolutions in our understanding of space and time that came first from special, and then from general, relativity. The second - the emergence of irreversible behavior in statistical mechanics - considers how the microscopic laws of physics, which know of no distinction between past and future, can be compatible with the melting of ice, the cooling of coffee, the passing of youth, and all the other ways in which the large-scale world distinguishes past from future. The last section discusses quantum theory - the foundation of most of modern physics, yet mysterious to this day. It explains just why quantum theory is so difficult to make sense of, how we might nonetheless attempt to do it, and why the question has been highly relevant to the development of physics, and continues to be so. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Philosophy Of Physics

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Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 042997793X
Total Pages : 300 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (299 download)

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Book Synopsis Philosophy Of Physics by : Lawrence Sklar

Download or read book Philosophy Of Physics written by Lawrence Sklar and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2018-03-05 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book focuses on the most important questions of philosophy of physics, offering a sufficiently concise and clear treatment of the issues to lead the interested reader through the sometimes labyrinthian paths taken by the central debates.

The World View of Contemporary Physics

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Publisher : State University of New York Press
ISBN 13 : 1438409206
Total Pages : 200 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (384 download)

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Book Synopsis The World View of Contemporary Physics by : Richard F. Kitchener

Download or read book The World View of Contemporary Physics written by Richard F. Kitchener and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 1988-07-08 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although early twentieth century physics produced two revolutionary new conceptions of the nature of the physical universe—relativity theory and quantum theory—more recent developments in the physical sciences have made it imperative for physicists to re-examine the older world view of physics and the assumptions upon which it was based. However, theorizing about the nature and status of reality has been the province of philosophers for centuries. Philosophers, trained in metaphysics, provided a different perspective for viewing and a unique method for solving some of these problems. Ideally, therefore, both philosophers and physicists should work together in dialogue fashion on this important issue. These two groups come together for the first time in this book to examine the questions: What is the world view of contemporary physics? Does it need a new metaphysics? If so, what kind of metaphysics does it need? Internationally known scholars, including Ilya Prigogine and Fritjof Capra, who are recognized as experts in this interdisciplinary field, address such related topics as the nature of the mind, our place in society, and the nature of ethics.

Physics and Philosophy

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Publisher : Harper Perennial Modern Classics
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 260 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Physics and Philosophy by : Werner Heisenberg

Download or read book Physics and Philosophy written by Werner Heisenberg and published by Harper Perennial Modern Classics. This book was released on 2007-05-08 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents German physicist Werner Heisenberg's 1958 text in which he discusses the philosophical implications and social consequences of quantum mechanics and other physical theories.

Metaphysics in Contemporary Physics

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Publisher : Brill/Rodopi
ISBN 13 : 9789004309630
Total Pages : 486 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (96 download)

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Book Synopsis Metaphysics in Contemporary Physics by : Tomasz Bigaj

Download or read book Metaphysics in Contemporary Physics written by Tomasz Bigaj and published by Brill/Rodopi. This book was released on 2015-12 with total page 486 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book Metaphysics in Contemporary Physicsoffers various perspectives on the relation and mutual influence between modern physical theories and analytic metaphysics. The authors of the contributions are philosophers of science, physicists and metaphysicians of international renown, and their work represents the cutting edge in modern metaphysics of physical sciences.

Understanding Space-Time

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Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 9781139452663
Total Pages : 204 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (526 download)

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Book Synopsis Understanding Space-Time by : Robert DiSalle

Download or read book Understanding Space-Time written by Robert DiSalle and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2006-04-27 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presenting the history of space-time physics, from Newton to Einstein, as a philosophical development DiSalle reflects our increasing understanding of the connections between ideas of space and time and our physical knowledge. He suggests that philosophy's greatest impact on physics has come about, less by the influence of philosophical hypotheses, than by the philosophical analysis of concepts of space, time and motion, and the roles they play in our assumptions about physical objects and physical measurements. This way of thinking leads to interpretations of the work of Newton and Einstein and the connections between them. It also offers ways of looking at old questions about a priori knowledge, the physical interpretation of mathematics, and the nature of conceptual change. Understanding Space-Time will interest readers in philosophy, history and philosophy of science, and physics, as well as readers interested in the relations between physics and philosophy.

Physics & Philosophy

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780140146608
Total Pages : 201 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (466 download)

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Book Synopsis Physics & Philosophy by : Werner Heisenberg

Download or read book Physics & Philosophy written by Werner Heisenberg and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The seminal work by one of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century, Physics and Philosophy is Werner Heisenberg's concise and accessible narrative of the revolution in modern physics, in which he played a towering role. The outgrowth of a celebrated lecture series, this book remains as relevant, provocative, and fascinating as when it was first published in 1958. A brilliant scientist whose ideas altered our perception of the universe, Heisenberg is considered the father of quantum physics; he is most famous for the Uncertainty Principle, which states that quantum particles do not occupy a fixed, measurable position. His contributions remain a cornerstone of contemporary physics theory and application.

Appearance and Reality

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Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 9780195115147
Total Pages : 196 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (151 download)

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Book Synopsis Appearance and Reality by : Peter Kosso

Download or read book Appearance and Reality written by Peter Kosso and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1998 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Appearance and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Physics addresses quantum mechanics and relativity and their philosophical implications, focusing on whether these theories of modern physics can help us know nature as it really is, or only as it appears to us. The author clearly explains the foundational concepts and principles of both quantum mechanics and relativity and then uses them to argue that we can know more than mere appearances, and that we can know to some extent the way things really are. He argues that modern physics gives us reason to believe that we can know some things about the objective, real world, but he also acknowledges that we cannot know everything, which results in a position he calls "realistic realism." This book is not a survey of possible philosophical interpretations of modern physics, nor does it leap from a caricature of the physics to some wildly alarming metaphysics. Instead, it is careful with the physics and true to the evidence in arriving at its own realistic conclusions. It presents the physics without mathematics, and makes extensive use of diagrams and analogies to explain important ideas. Engaging and accessible, Appearance and Reality serves as an ideal introduction for anyone interested in the intersection of philosophy and physics, including students in philosophy of physics and philosophy of science courses.

Philosophy of Physics

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Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 069118352X
Total Pages : 249 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (911 download)

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Book Synopsis Philosophy of Physics by : Tim Maudlin

Download or read book Philosophy of Physics written by Tim Maudlin and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2019-03-19 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sophisticated and original introduction to the philosophy of quantum mechanics from one of the world’s leading philosophers of physics In this book, Tim Maudlin, one of the world’s leading philosophers of physics, offers a sophisticated, original introduction to the philosophy of quantum mechanics. The briefest, clearest, and most refined account of his influential approach to the subject, the book will be invaluable to all students of philosophy and physics. Quantum mechanics holds a unique place in the history of physics. It has produced the most accurate predictions of any scientific theory, but, more astonishing, there has never been any agreement about what the theory implies about physical reality. Maudlin argues that the very term “quantum theory” is a misnomer. A proper physical theory should clearly describe what is there and what it does—yet standard textbooks present quantum mechanics as a predictive recipe in search of a physical theory. In contrast, Maudlin explores three proper theories that recover the quantum predictions: the indeterministic wavefunction collapse theory of Ghirardi, Rimini, and Weber; the deterministic particle theory of deBroglie and Bohm; and the conceptually challenging Many Worlds theory of Everett. Each offers a radically different proposal for the nature of physical reality, but Maudlin shows that none of them are what they are generally taken to be.