The natural structure of physics
Victor Kriss · American Journal of Physics · 1993
There has been a current feeling of dissatisfaction in the physics community concerning the content and direction of introductory physics courses. The presented position is that this unease does not originate from the lack of exotic, new physics in introductory courses, but rather from the outdated philosophical picture that these courses paint. Research in the area of fundamental interactions has revealed a natural structure that seems to cover all of physics. This structure is centered on a dynamics nested in the space-time of relativity. The four fundamental interactions originate from internal symmetries embedded in these dynamics. This is the paradigm that should be the template of present physics courses.