
Physics as a Way of Thinking (1936) - 2510c39011c5
https://fermatslibrary.com/s/physics-as-a-way-of-thinking
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rusk
Anybody think physics is starting to plateau? We had huge advances in the 20th
century, I think driven in part by it's virtuous symbiosis with technology.
The bleeding edge is however becoming ever more specialised and obscure and
the experimental equipment necessary to generate new proofs is becoming
increasingly expensive and cumbersome. Quantum Mechanics provides a wonderful
set of tools for so many natural phenomena beyond mere subatomic particles.
But - it's so far removed from the everyday now. What next for popular
science?

~~~
eigenspace
Particle physics is not all of physics.

Many areas of physics such as Condensed Matter Physics are in a golden age of
wonderful interesting discoveries every year. In CMP, every material is like
its own little universe with its own fundamental ‘particles’ and interactions.
There are condensed matter systems that have Lorentz symmetry (ie special
relativity) such as graphene, there are condensed matter systems with gauge
symmetries and even supersymmetries.

The real advantage of CMP is that where particle physicists are stuck trying
to describe the fundamental properties of our universe of which there is only
one, condensed matter physicists are trying to describe the emergent
properties of materials of which there is a mind-blowing variety. This means
that if the condensed matter community is stuck and can’t make progress on
material X, they can simply move to material Y and retain much of their
expertise.

CMP is like doing particle physics with a multiverse, except that multiverse
is _real_.

~~~
westoncb
I wonder if that process of learning each of the different material systems so
well might lead to knew knowledge about patterns between materials not seen
before, which could end up being knowledge of the more fundamental sort...

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IceandFire
Since the childhood, I always thought Physics to be the way of life.
Everything that I saw has it roots in Physics - Lamp on my table, speeding
car, floating paper boats, rainbow, gravity causing objects to fall.

The love of Physics combined with Mathematics led me to take up Engineering.

~~~
simonh
I was talking to my kids about this just a few days ago. They're both in
secondary school and starting a new academic year now and we were talking
about their favourite sciences, and that underneath it all everything is
physics.

