14 Comments
User's avatar
Tara Thieke's avatar

Wonderful reading, thrilled to have found your substack. As I've been studying this over the past few years, the discrepancy between what is taught to kids and what I'm reading bothers me. Are you aware of any sort of early readers or textbooks which present non-reductionist chemistry/physics/biology to children and adolescents?

Looking forward to reading more of your work.

Phil H's avatar

The "stunning insight" you attribute to Whitehead via Leclerc sounds like it deserves a post of its own, if not a whole series of posts, to unpack just what that means.

I'm not a scientist, and I can't speak for Newton's Laws of Motion. But I am aware that some macro-level laws of physics, most notably conservation of momentum and conservation of angular momentum, apply at the level of particle interactions as well.

Stacy Trasancos's avatar

That is a great suggestion. Leclerc kind of throws it out at the end of the chapter (the stunning insight). Very cliffhanger.

The Hollywood Catholic's avatar

Your work is my favorite thing on Substack

Stacy Trasancos's avatar

I really appreciate you saying that. It keeps a writer going.

The Hollywood Catholic's avatar

it took this mathematical physicist 30 years to ask a metaphysical question:

https://x.com/ProfCarlSagan/status/1916338807378514003

the work you're doing is incredibly important

Phil H's avatar

It's worth noting that the above Twitter/X post was not from the famously materialist Carl Sagan, but from someone wanting to honor his name and insights. I'm having trouble picturing Sagan ever coming to that realization.

The Hollywood Catholic's avatar

ps you had me at "the elements are subsumed by the substance" lol

Stacy Trasancos's avatar

I will be saying this for the rest of my life. It makes so much sense.

An ordinary papist's avatar

" so it seems Leibniz tries to do so by at least returning the idea of force to something inherent in nature instead of external to natural bodies."

Kind of sounds like the concept of string theory.

nicoledoranmusic's avatar

very thoughtful--glad you are studying this!

Stacy Trasancos's avatar

Thank you, Nicole!

User's avatar
Comment deleted
Apr 27, 2025
Comment deleted
Stacy Trasancos's avatar

Thank you, M. D. S.!