Electrons: Questions about observations, semantics & concepts

[jamesd1]

I've been puzzling over things I've read about quantum physics as it relates to reports of things "seen" and the nature of the concepts/semantics/assumptions involved. If this sounds vague its because my thoughts are not fully formed on this. Some detail:

In a new article titled: "Physicists Debate Whether the World Is Made of Particles or Fields--or Something Else Entirely "
http://www.scientificamerican.com/a...ld-made-of-particles-fields-or-something-else

A comment by TitusWu caught my eye; the post was:

"Man. All of this is crazy. So particles are just excitations of a field, and even then scientists don't know what exactly a field is."

And what are physicists "seeing" here:


And what is the "Scanning Tunneling Microscope "seeing:"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanning_tunneling_microscope

To what degree are we sure that what is seen in pictures is what it is conceptualized to be?

How do these ideas and observations relate to the concept that "There are no electrons:"
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0962781592/?tag=pfamazon01-20

Thanks for you thoughts

 

[davenn]

hi there :)
welcome to PF

just to take one of your links

How do these ideas and observations relate to the concept that "There are no electrons:"
https://www.amazon.com/There-Are-Elec...e+no+electrons&tag=pfamazon01-20

you didn't really think there's no such things as electrons did you ?they are not saying there are no electrons. They are just explaining everyday electronics in an easy practical way without getting bogged down in electron etc theory.

hopefully they are doing the subject justice ( I haven't read the book)
Dave

 

[jamesd1]

hi there :)
welcome to PF

just to take one of your links

you didn't really think there's no such things as electrons did you ?"

=======
I tend to think in terms of the question, j"In what sense to elections exist?"

Notice how the conversation is going about this using Google:

in what sense do electrons exist

A bit of one of the thousands of notes on this from one forum:
"The important bit here is ( and I am glad that you inserted it ! ) the phrase "the effect of". We never see an electron in a cloud chamber, we only see what kind of effect the electron has on its environment, and the same goes for all other particles as well. Quantum objects are by its very nature not part of our world of experience, we cannot directly perceive them, only their effects. The rest is indeed philosophy - something clearly is there, because the effects we observe in particle experiments are very real. What that something is on its deepest level of existence is still open to debate, I dare say. "

http://www.thescienceforum.com/physics/28634-do-electrons-protons-neutrons-really-exist.html


I was an electronics tech in the Navy and was once accidentally shocked, so I know something people call "electrons" exist in that sense. The deeper philosophic issues of what really exists and how we perceive and name it, and the whole "models" thing; that interest me.

In the Navy, 50 years atom I wore a little atomic solar-system type symbol on my sleeve to signify a tech. But that "solar system electron" atom does not actually exist as such. But in many peoples minds it is still taken literally.

Best Thoughts,

James