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Ernst Mach, physicist and philosopher
Ernst Mach became known for his philosophic influence on the Vienna Circle and the logical positivism movement of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Within this, Mach developed and defended a type of phenomenalistic philosophy of science that declared physical objects could not justifiably be said to exist in themselves but only as observed sensory stimulants established in time and space. -
Sensory Perception
In 1865, Mach published his work with optical illusions and light stimuli. Mach is acknowledged for discovering lateral inhibition, the thought that our senses pre-process data before carrying it to our brain. He carried these ideas into his work on sensations. Mach stated that sensations are not raw experiences, but the interaction of experience with a pre-formed cognitive structure. The manner of how we recognize stimuli is the foundation of all perception and is also a product of evolution. -
Shock Waves
As the chair of Experimental Physics at the Charles University, Prague, he studied the field of supersonic fluid mechanics and described the sound effects observed during the supersonic motion of an object and confirmed the existence of a shock wave. Today the ration of the speed of a fluid to the local speed of sound is called the Mach number -
The Science of Mechanics
Mach formed what he would call his biological-economical theory of knowledge. Mach believed it is the object of science to save experiences, by "the reproduction and anticipation of facts in thought. The economic role of science is to understand nature prior to experience, so we learn from science how to predict the world. Our memory encompasses more of the world, consequently allowing better familiarization. -
Analysis of Sensation
Mach stated in his 1886 publication Analysis of Sensation that sensations are not just raw experiences, but the interaction of experience with a pre-formed cognitive structure. He used the example that we can recognize a musical melody, despite if the key it is played in is correct or not. The manner of how we recognize stimuli is the foundation of all perception and is also a product of evolution.
