Gourt > Society > Philosophy > Philosophy of Science > Physics (5)
Physics (from the Greek, φύσις (phúsis), "nature" and φυσικός (phusikós), "natural"), the most fundamental physical science, is concerned with the basic principles of the Universe. Consequently, physics deals empirically with the dynamics of matter in the cosmos.
Introduction
Discoveries in physics find applications throughout the other natural sciences as they regard the fundamental constituents of the natural world. Some of the phenomena studied in physics, such as the phenomenon of conservation of energy, are common to all material systems. These are often referred to as laws of physics. Others, such as superconductivity, stem from these laws, but are not laws themselves because they only appear in some systems. Physics is often said to be the "fundamental science" (chemistry is sometimes included), because each of the other weaker sciences (biology, chemistry, geology, material science, engineering, medicine etc.) deals with particular types of material systems that obey the laws of physics. For example, chemistry is the science of matter (such as atoms and molecules) and the chemical substances that they form in the bulk. The structure, reactivity, and properties of a chemical compound are determined by the properties of the underlying molecules, which can be described by areas of physics such as quantum mechanics (called in this case quantum chemistry), thermodynamics, and electromagnetism.
Physics is closely related to mathematics, which provides the logical framework in which physical laws can be precisely formulated and their predictions quantified. Physical definitions, models and theories are invariably expressed using mathematical relations. A key difference between physics and mathematics is that because physics is ultimately concerned with descriptions of the material world, it tests its theories by observations (called experiments), whereas mathematics is concerned with abstract logical patterns not limited by those observed in the real world (because the real world is limited in the number of dimensions and in many other ways it does not have to correspond to richer mathematical structures). The distinction, however, is not always clear-cut. There is a large area of research intermediate between physics and mathematics, known as mathematical physics.
More on [ Physics ]
Complex Systems :: Applications
History :: Physics
Free Will and Determinism :: Metaphysics
@madib5 I hate physics sooooo much . ahaha I just saw that physics post that you postedd lmao
bammx28 (becca mendel) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:03:33 -0000
@madib5 I hate physics sooooo much . ahaha I just saw that physics post that you postedd lmao
@MinHoAhn : PHYSICS?... is that a joke papa jay?... :)
lovemallows (lamille briones) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:03:05 -0000
@MinHoAhn : PHYSICS?... is that a joke papa jay?... :)
Quantum physics made relatively simple http://su.pr/3Xbj6k, amazingly simple (by Hans Bethe)
nynke_etk (nynke_etk) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:02:54 -0000
Quantum physics made relatively simple http://su.pr/3Xbj6k, amazingly simple (by Hans Bethe)
The Physics of Space Battles http://bit.ly/8sYe7A
alexfalkenberg (Alex Falkenberg) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:02:49 -0000
The Physics of Space Battles http://bit.ly/8sYe7A
yup yup takin my final for radiation physics and protection.... it gon be hard but at least its the last one for the semester.. wish me luck
Snyderd10 (Dan) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:01:33 -0000
yup yup takin my final for radiation physics and protection.... it gon be hard but at least its the last one for the semester.. wish me luck
very cool article about realism and space battles in our possible future http://gizmodo.com/5426453/the-physics-of-space-battles
Walliss (Walliss) Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:01:10 -0000
very cool article about realism and space battles in our possible future http://gizmodo.com/5426453/the-physics-of-space-battles
, by Roger Penrose - His exploration is so much more serious philosophically than almost anything that has been done since Einstein and Schrodinger
A New Kind of Science - critical review - Detailed and critical review by Ray Kurzweil of the book by Stephen Wolfram.
A New Kind of Science by Stephen Wolfram - Science from the point of view of complex systems: from the origins of apparent randomness in physical systems, to the development of complexity in biology.
Meta Description: [ Complete online version of Stephen
Wolfram's 'A New Kind of Science' book ]
Chronon Critical Points - Scientific applets, articles and book critically examine claims made in popular books
Meta Description: [ A selection of scientific applets, articles and book reviews, in particular questioning some of the claims that are often made in popular science books, but which aren't supported by the science ]
Consciousness, Life and Meaning - Essay on evolution and consciousness by Piero Scaruffi.
Meta Description: [ A book on cognitive science, artificial intelligence, neurobiology, artificial life, linguistics, neural networks, connectionism, cognitive psychology, consciousness ]
Contradictory opinions: if universe is based on hazards - International scientists from different disciplines describe contradictory opinions to the question in the title.
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Digital Philosophy -- Discrete Physics - Assuming that all quantities, including space and time, are finite and discrete.
Events in History of Physics - Time-lines of thermodynamics, electromagnetism, and symmetry. With links to other time-lines and resources.
Experiment in Physics - On the uses, value, and epistomelogy of experiment. By Allan Franklin, University of Colorado.
GIACS - Portal devoted to General Integration of the Applications of Complexity in Science.
Identity and Individuality in Quantum Theory - Assesses the metaphysical implications of quantum theory by considering the impact of the theory on our understanding of objects as individuals with well defined identity conditions. From the Stanford Encyclopedia, by Steven French.
Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions - Crucial chapter from Kuhn's famous book outlining how sciences is forced to go through a paradigm-shift, and see the world in terms of a new theory and new concepts.
Meta Description: [ Crucial chapter from Kuhn's famous book outlining how sciences is forced to go through a paradigm-shift, and see the world in terms of a new theory and new concepts ]
Life and Physics - Biological systems demonstrate complexities beyond the strictures of Newtonian mechanics. (Robert Rosen)
MathPages: Physics - Collection of essays, not always orthodox, but always lucid, on historical and important current issues in mathematics and physics.
ons - A collection of links, from Norman Redington at MIT.
Philosophical Foundations of Physics by R. Carnap - Positivist view of Physics, which had influenced the Copenhagen Interpretation of the Quantum mechanics (CI).
Meta Description: [ Excerpt from Canap's Philosophical Foundations of Physics ]
Philosophy of Physics - A collection of articles and notes from Soshichi Uchii, at Kyoto University.
PhilSci Archive - Subject: Physics - Collection of papers on causality, free will etc
Quantum Quackery - Skeptical overview of QM and consciousness connection.
Science, Pseudoscience and Society - Papers by Feynman on paranormal 'sciences', Sokal Affair (use of pseudo-physics in social sciences), critique of Kuhn. Also a collection of links.
Meta Description: [ lysenkoism, open source software, pseudoscience ]
Shakespeare and Thermodynamics - Dam the Second Law! - What the second law of thermodynamics is all about, and how it is constantly 'dammed' or blocked by activation energy
Meta Description: [ What the second law of thermodynamics is all about, and how it is constantly 'dammed' or blocked by activation energy ]
Space and Time: Inertial Frames - On the frames of reference relative to which motion and rest are measured; by Robert DiSalle.
The Bactra Reviews - A set of book and article reviews, not limited to physics.
The Mind of God - A review of Paul Davies' exposition of foundational philosophical issues.
Meta Description: [ one of the recent offerings from physics populariser Paul Davies... ]
Wikipedia - EPR Paradox - On the experiment to show that a measurement performed on one part of a quantum system can have an instantaneous effect on the result of a measurement performed on another part.
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