What are the gods of modern physics?

In summary, the conversation discusses the comparison of the Big Bang to different creation theories and the idea of gods arising from physics. The participants mention influential physicists such as Einstein, Hawking, and Kaku, and discuss the idea of an ultimate Physicist. They also touch on the concept of spiritual significance in physics and the belief that physics explains why things are rather than how they are.
  • #1
Loren Booda
3,125
4
The Big Bang is like the Old Testament creation from the void, or a Brahma day, whose cycle is 4,300,000,000 years. Quantum physics might be likened to the yin-yang duality, a Pandora's box, or the genie in the bottle. The beauty experienced sometimes while studying physics can seem like a religious epiphany.

What gods have you observed arising from physics like the Phoenix these past hundred years? Do you ascribe any spiritual significance or analogy to the processes of the cosmos? If physics itself can be objectified, who or what is the ultimate Physicist?

Joseph Campbell once said of his computer: "Now I am rather an authority on gods, so I identified the machine. It seems to me to be an Old Testament god with a lot of rules and no mercy."
 
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  • #2
Loren Booda said:
What gods have you observed arising from physics like the Phoenix these past hundred years? Do you ascribe any spiritual significance or analogy to the processes of the cosmos? If physics itself can be objectified, who or what is the ultimate Physicist?

I'm not sure that 'gods' is the right word. Physics seems more like a Bhudist approach where there is no god, but only a desire for enlightenment.

I think that there are commandments like the infamous rules of Thermodynamics or Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. Similarly, there are 'prophets' like Newton,Einstein and Hawking who are eccentric messengers from the beyond (who are more popularly known than influential figures such as Bohr, Maxwell, or Coulomb.)

There is also a dogmatic belief among physicists that physics explains why things are rather than how they are.
 
  • #3
Well, if there's somebody that the major part of the people could consider "the" god in physics, then this somebody should be Einstein, because influence, popularity, etc. Spiritual signuficance? Ummm... not sure... But it seems that we humans are always searching happiness, no? In that sense, it strikes me that in most of the pictures Einstein appeared happy, always laughing, somehow like he knew something that the rest of the humanity was ignorant of it
 
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  • #4
Zeus-Einstein
Bacchus-Feynman
lol, that's about all the old gods I know.
Mercury-Oppenheimer
Venus-Hubble
Mars-Newton
Saturn-Galileo
Pluto-Plato
 
  • #5
I think Einstein, Stephen Hawking, and Michio Kaku would definitely be a few. I don't know about any feenixers, but I think those three are probably the best in the last 100 years.

As for the other question, I don't there is an ultimate physics. In fact, I'll go one step further and say that I think it's absolutely ignorant to think there is. It's thousands of years since people began studying physics and there are just as many questions now as there were back then. There was a time when crumbs were thought to be the smallest particles. There's not one shred of evidence to suggest that we are close to a perfect 'physics', or any evidence to even suggest there is one. It defies all history; all logic.
 
  • #6
Loren Booda said:
The Big Bang is like the Old Testament creation from the void, or a Brahma day, whose cycle is 4,300,000,000 years.
Maybe the Big Bang would be a Brahma Year, of 360 Brahma Days, resulting in 1,555,200,000,000 years, 1.5552 x 10^12, since a Brahma day is 4,320,000,000 years, not 4,300,000,000 years.
 
  • #7
KingNothing said:
I think Einstein, Stephen Hawking, and Michio Kaku would definitely be a few. I don't know about any feenixers, but I think those three are probably the best in the last 100 years.

This may sound weird, but "What is Michio Kaku's contribution to physics ?"
 
  • #8
Gokul43201 said:
This may sound weird, but "What is Michio Kaku's contribution to physics ?"

He invented the time machine
 
  • #9
From what I understand, he is the co-founder of String Field Theory.
 
  • #10
just like Al Gore is co-founder of the internet. I agree

actually I have no room to talk. I don't know what Kaku's contributions are and that is one of the first names I think of, when I think. Plus I see his name everytime I get online
 
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1. What is the definition of "gods of modern physics"?

The term "gods of modern physics" is often used to refer to the most influential and groundbreaking theories and concepts in the field of physics, such as quantum mechanics, relativity, and the standard model.

2. Who are considered the gods of modern physics?

The gods of modern physics can vary depending on personal opinions, but some of the most prominent figures include Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Max Planck, and Richard Feynman.

3. How do the gods of modern physics impact our daily lives?

The theories and concepts developed by the gods of modern physics have led to significant advancements in technology, such as the development of computers, GPS systems, and nuclear energy. They also provide a deeper understanding of the natural world and help us make predictions about the universe.

4. Are there any controversies surrounding the gods of modern physics?

While the theories and concepts developed by the gods of modern physics are widely accepted, there are still ongoing debates and controversies within the scientific community. Some examples include the interpretation of quantum mechanics and the search for a unified theory of everything.

5. Are there any current gods of modern physics?

The field of physics is constantly evolving, and new theories and concepts are being developed all the time. Some scientists who are currently making significant contributions to the field include Stephen Hawking, Lisa Randall, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

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