Basics of Physics – New Issues in Physics
Robert B. Laughlin, born in 1950 and Nobel Prize winner in physics, published his book A Different Universe: Reinventing Physics from the Bottom Down in 2005. In his book, he wants physics to turn its approach upside down.
He believes that physicists should stop searching for the fundamental formula of the universe and its smallest particles. Instead, they should focus their attention on the complex and interdisciplinary phenomena seen in nature. Models could be effectively applied to these phenomena enriching the scope of physics and taking it to the next level.
Physics and Technology – Basics of Physics – Models and Fluid Mechanics
The study of the flow of liquids and gases has many modern applications. It is used to improve the aerodynamic qualities of cars and planes, model the behavior of liquids in a pipe, and predict the actions of people in a crowd.
In hydrodynamics, flow patterns in pipelines or water bodies are modeled using differential equations, the same equations used by astrophysicists when describing the motion of stars within a galaxy or the path of a galaxy in a large accumulation of galaxies. When solving these equations, it is irrelevant what objects are being transported, water molecules, stars, or entire galaxies.
Similar flow patterns may emerge from modeling a water pipe or an accumulation of galaxies. This shows one of the strengths of the science of abstract physics as it simplifies a normally complicated thought or natural process into an abstract model that can be applied to many different situations.
Traffic and flow
Let’s consider an example: the physics of traffic. This is a young discipline that emerged in the 1990s applying hydrodynamic laws to solve problems of traffic. Here, cars take over the role of specific molecules and assumptions are made regarding their motion patterns. There are, for example, certain probabilities as to how often a car will change lanes, what the preferred speed is, how fast its driver can react, and so on.
The equations for flow patterns are modified using these variables in order to solve problems like why some traffic jams happen for no obvious reason. Physicists were also able to prove the positive effects of speed limits on the flow of traffic (and on the number of accidents). These traffic models can also be applied to pedestrians. Newly constructed soccer stadiums are now optimized using traffic simulations that help identify the ideal locations for escape routes and emergency exits.
Access from Mecca, towards the Jamarat Bridge, where the religious stoning-of-the-devil ritual is performed, has been optimized by German traffic physicist Dirk Helbing and others. They succeeded in preventing the repeat of numerous deaths in 2004 and 2006 after the holy site was reconstructed under their guidance saving hundreds of lives a year.