Nature of Physics and Its Relation to Other Disciplines
George Paget Thomson · American Journal of Physics · 1960
Physics is one aspect of the science which deals with nonliving matter. It is concerned primarily with general principles valid either for all kinds of material, as for example gravitation, or relating to laws in which matter as such does not come in directly ; for example, the propogation of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum. However, the boundary between physics and chemistry in common parlance is largely historical in origin. Physics is a great triumph of the human mind, but it has often grown from the study of apparent trivialities. That these can lead to the most important discoveries is itself one of the great discoveries of the scientific method. There is as yet no all-embracing physical theory, and as knowledge increases the significance of the partial theories is seen to change, but they are seldom entirely superseded. Even a successful universal theory would leave much to do; the consequences of theories are deemed worthy or unworthy of study for aesthetic or practical reasons. Nature is no longer considered to be deterministic in detail though it is in gross. The practical value of physics showed itself clearly in the development of electrical engineering, and now physics has become essential to a developing civilization. Scientists are responsible for those consequences of their actions which reasonably can be foreseen, but the extent to which consequences can be foreseen is exaggerated. The different parts of a civilization are interlocked and it must be accepted or rejected as a whole.