Why is physics the most fundamental science?

Answer 1

I don't agree that mathematics is a science. However, there is no science without mathematics. This begs the question: What is science?

Physics: Applied mathematics.

Answer 2

It isn't. Mathematics is


Doug


Mathematics most certainly is a science in that we follow the 'Scientific Process'

Make an observation

Test the observation on several cases to see if it holds. Modern computers are *so* nice for this. (Did you know that Gauss *memorized* an 8 place log table just so he could do arithmetic faster? Wonder what he could have done with a $9.95 K-Mart calculator? )

Formulate a conjecture.

See if the conjecture predicts something that's never been observed.

Attempt to 'prove' the conjecture in terms of things that are already known to be true.

If you can prove it, you now have a theorem (which may be used in the future to help prove other theorems)

Mathematicians also ask 'what if' kinds of questions. What if the point line hypothesis from geometry is changed? Bolyai and Lobachevski asked just that and 'discovered' non-linear (or 'non-Euclidean') geometry (which is fundamental to Relativity)

Marius Sophus Lie (pronounced Lee) discovered and published some interesting algebraic structures that existed over certain types of fields (now called Lie Algebras and Lie Fields) about 30 years before Bohr published the first model of the atom. Sub-atomic particles weren't even known. But in the 60's somebody (Feynman?) discovered that Lie Algebras not only explained (modeled) the characteristics of a family of sub-atomic particles, but actually predicted the existence of some particles that had never been observed. And, when they went looking for the predicted particles, there they were!!!

Mathematics is a science and, since physics is the study of matter, John von Neumann made the famous comment that, "Math predated physics by at least the 7 days it took God to create the Universe."


Doug

Answer 3

Because Physics is the study of how things work at their most basic *fundamental* level. Everything else is essentially built on those concepts, or can be explained by them.

It can be argued that math is more fundamental, but that is not true. Physical laws are expressed in formulas... Mathematics is a perfect language used to *express* the perfect behavior observed in nature.

It can also be argued that physics cannot exist without all the other sciences or branches of knowledge. That is sort of true...in order for there to be progress, we must have all sorts of scientists, but remember that new developments always start with someone saying.. "why, and how is this happening?", and that is physics..... (Notice that not necesarily a physicist has to be the one asking the question).

Physics is just asking how/why , and suggesting plausible answers...

Answer 4

I dont agree that mathematics is a science but rather a collection of rules and the logical consequences that can be drawn from them.
For example that the internal angles of a triangle add to 180 degrees is not a matter of science but a matter of logic. Science is concerned with what there is in the world and the only way you find that is by looking. Mathematics can be applied to discoveries and Galileo said something about the book of the Universe being written in the language of mathematics but that is not the same thing.
Physics is pretty fundamental as a science BUT since our observational perspective is as humans maybe Hume was right in that the true study of Man is Man.

Answer 5

I am not so sure it is.I have heard and read many times that mathematics is the most fundamental science. With mathematics to express information there would be no physics. There would not be an effective way to convey information without mathematics as it lacks the ambiguity of normal language and can contain vastly more information. Physics must have mathematics to exist yet mathematics need not have physics to exist.Physics comes after math because of this.

Answer 6

PHYSICS - The Fundamental Science
Physics is the study of the laws of nature that govern the behaviour of the universe, from the very smallest scales of sub-atomic particles to the very largest in cosmology. It applies these laws to the solution of practical problems and to the development of new technologies. Physicists engage a broad range of skills to undertake this work. A physicist might be a theorist puzzling over fundamental laws, a numerical modeller developing sophisticated computer algorithms to calculate how systems behave, an experimentalist developing new techniques to measure properties of nature or an engineer combining those theories and techniques into new technologies. Physics is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary, as physicists work with mathematicians, engineers, chemists and biologists in order to understand and solve a wide range of problems confronting society.

Physics is a challenging and rewarding subject. Its study instructs a person in the art of critical thinking, how to pose questions and how to solve problems. Physics is at the heart of almost every facet of modern life.

Answer 7

The simplest way that I can express it is to say that fundamental physics is the study of the natural cause and effect relationships that define what we call the observable universe.

The 'laws' of nature, which physics studies, underlie all observed natural phenomena. It studies everything, not just one narrow class of specific phenomena, such as electronics or meteorology.

Everything that can be explained, can be explained in terms of those natural laws discovered by physics.

No other single branch of science spans the range of phenomena explored by fundamental physics.

Answer 8

perhaps the most fundamental science is NOT physics but science of consciousness.

one can argue that physics and mathematics are fundamental BUT they are ever changing as KNOWLEDGE changes and accumalates.

before we existed as human beings, our consciousness was still present in our ancestral primates . this stream of consciousness has ever been present since the dawn of life and only our material existence changes with time.

physics is not truly fundamental in that it is only a tool used by our particular brand of consciousness to understand things. consciousness existed long before physics and gave rise to physics as a subset of its existence. NOT all people accept physics ( stupidity or otherwise ) BUT all people accept they are conscious and sentient beings.

there is NO physical theory of consciousnesss today ( despite all the claims ).

there is however a conscious theory of physics !

the most successful and advanced theory in physics called Quantum Theory states that all events are in a state probability until an "observation" ( by a conscious being ) is made to decide the outcome. this is known as the "measurement problem" and is unapproachable by quantum theory ( it is dodged as a metaphysical curiousity by physicists ).

what quantum theory really states is that the understanding is eventually borne by an observer whose workings are not themselves clearly defined ! it is the classic chicken and the egg scenario and is the central dogma in physics today.

i believe in reality, all one ever needs to do is understand consciousness and all the other problems dissappear. if you understand consciousness, you wont need to look for subatomic particles ever again !

Answer 9

Physics is the basis for everything we know about science. The laws of physics are applicable on all scales of matter, from the very tiniest (i.e., quarks) to the largest you can conceive (i.e., the universe).

It's a shame that, although I'm a "science person," physics is largely beyond me. It is an extremely useful thing to understand.

Answer 10

Arguably, but you would have to convince the Math guys that Physics isn't just built on top of Math.

That is the fundamental language of the universe.