John Archibald Wheeler: Everything from Nothing | More than Nothing: A History of the Vacuum in Theoretical Physics, 1925-1980 (2024)

More than Nothing: A History of the Vacuum in Theoretical Physics, 1925-1980

Aaron Sidney Wright

Published:

2024

Online ISBN:

9780190062835

Print ISBN:

9780190062804

Contents

  • < Previous chapter
  • Next chapter >

More than Nothing: A History of the Vacuum in Theoretical Physics, 1925-1980

Aaron Sidney Wright

Chapter

Get access

Aaron Sidney Wright

Aaron Sidney Wright

Find on

Oxford Academic

Pages

177–228

  • Published:

    March 2024

Cite

Wright, Aaron Sidney, 'John Archibald Wheeler: Everything from Nothing', More than Nothing: A History of the Vacuum in Theoretical Physics, 1925-1980 (New York, 2024; online edn, Oxford Academic, 20 June 2024), https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190062804.003.0005, accessed 30 June 2024.

Close

Search

Close

Search

Advanced Search

Search Menu

Abstract

A close analysis of John Archibald Wheeler’s research notebooks reveals the inner-workings of perhaps the most influential “relativist” of the late twentieth century. This chapter argues that Wheeler’s epistemological “radical conservatism” drove his ontological development, from an initial focus on black holes and vacuum solutions to increasingly abstract mathematical structures. His conservatism led him to unify quantum theory with gravitation using the simplest possible physical constituent—the vacuum. Wheeler developed a radical monism, with the vacuum as a “magic building material” out of which all the rest of reality could be built. As this view was challenged and developed, Wheeler’s vision became more and more mathematically abstract. Far from his initial engagement with observational cosmology and experiments in the 1940s and 50s, by the 1970s Wheeler saw reality rooted in quantum fluctuations in “superspace” (not spacetime, but the mathematical space of all spacetimes), or even the calculus of logical propositions.

Keywords: John Archibald Wheeler, black holes, general relativity, geometrodynamics, historical epistemology, historical ontology, unification, quantum gravity, note taking

Subject

History of Science and Technology

Collection: Oxford Scholarship Online

You do not currently have access to this chapter.

Sign in

Get help with access

Personal account

  • Sign in with email/username & password
  • Get email alerts
  • Save searches
  • Purchase content
  • Activate your purchase/trial code
  • Add your ORCID iD

Sign in Register

Institutional access

    Sign in through your institution

    Sign in through your institution

  1. Sign in with a library card
  2. Sign in with username/password
  3. Recommend to your librarian

Institutional account management

Sign in as administrator

Get help with access

Institutional access

Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:

IP based access

Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.

Sign in through your institution

Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.

  1. Click Sign in through your institution.
  2. Select your institution from the list provided, which will take you to your institution's website to sign in.
  3. When on the institution site, please use the credentials provided by your institution. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
  4. Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.

If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.

Sign in with a library card

Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.

Society Members

Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:

Sign in through society site

Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:

  1. Click Sign in through society site.
  2. When on the society site, please use the credentials provided by that society. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
  3. Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.

If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.

Sign in using a personal account

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.

Personal account

A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.

Viewing your signed in accounts

Click the account icon in the top right to:

  • View your signed in personal account and access account management features.
  • View the institutional accounts that are providing access.

Signed in but can't access content

Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.

Institutional account management

For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.

Purchase

Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.

Purchasing information

Metrics

Total Views 2

1 Pageviews

1 PDF Downloads

Since 6/1/2024

Month: Total Views:
June 2024 2

Citations

Powered by Dimensions

Altmetrics

×

More from Oxford Academic

History of Science and Technology

Science and Mathematics

Books

Journals

John Archibald Wheeler: Everything from Nothing | More than Nothing: A History of the Vacuum in Theoretical Physics, 1925-1980 (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Mr. See Jast

Last Updated:

Views: 5847

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (55 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Mr. See Jast

Birthday: 1999-07-30

Address: 8409 Megan Mountain, New Mathew, MT 44997-8193

Phone: +5023589614038

Job: Chief Executive

Hobby: Leather crafting, Flag Football, Candle making, Flying, Poi, Gunsmithing, Swimming

Introduction: My name is Mr. See Jast, I am a open, jolly, gorgeous, courageous, inexpensive, friendly, homely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.