What is Physics and How Can Physicists Save the World?

Skoltech student Andrii Omelianovych addresses the question, ‘What is physics?’ – and explains how he believes physicists can change the world.

"Of the more highly educated sections of the community, the happiest in the present day are the men of science." Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness (1930)

It somehow happened that among all of the sciences, physics is the one that makes me happy. It started with the Young Physicists Tournament during my high school freshman year. The tournament became the essential part of my life. It made my life exciting. I was able to meet a lot of wonderful people, see plenty of beautiful places and learn a great deal.

In the last year of high school I made my first trip abroad to represent Ukraine in the Open Austrian Young Physicists Tournament. The tournament shaped my personality in several ways. I became outgoing, open minded, skilled in tackling practical problems and defending my solutions. It engraved the values of the team spirit and thorough scientific analysis on me. Those skills and characteristics made my admission to Skoltech possible. If this is what physics has done for me, what can it do to the people of this world (especially when many believe that the world is doomed)?

What is physics?

First then, what is physics? Historically, physics has developed through observation of natural phenomena and derivation of laws which describe these phenomena. Naturally, the profound understanding of the world we live in helps us to survive in it.

Physicists had to always stay alert to see something happening in nature and to record it so they can describe it later. The alertness to changes and the passion to discover new phenomena are the fundamental characteristics which make a great physicist. Individuals of this kind possess all capabilities required to understand the tricky make-up of the world. If they manage to transfer the skills they obtain into the wider social arena, they become true visionaries and triggers of social change.

Nikola Tesla was among such visionaries. His contribution to humankind is immense, and it did a great deal to advance the progress in several areas of the society. Many modern power systems utilize the principles Tesla laid out in his scientific works. These changes help us evolve and they help us survive. Physicists are the drivers of such changes, and they inspire many others (and you can become one of them, as I have at Skoltech).

How can physicists change the world?

So how can physicists really change the world? The world is a complex system, full of limits and constraints on what one can do. Physics is full of problems with closed systems, which have no or limited interaction with other systems. Operating within the limits of a system (or a model of a system) or pushing the limits of a system, is a physicist’s daily job.

The optimization of outcomes is a problem more focused on by applied physicists or engineers, but the theoretical framework for the analysis always comes from the fundamental laws of physics. The knowledge of those fundamental laws allows physicists to exercise great control over the creation of new materials and devices which directly affect human life, pushing the boundaries of what we can do.

For example, many believed that the sky is the limit, but Sergey Korolev proved them wrong, by making space flight possible. He created generations of scientists who were motivated by travels to distant planets, and in fact inspired the foundation of Skoltech’s Space Science and Technology program. The ultimate dream of a physicist is to achieve exactly this – to push the boundaries of what is possible, and motivate others to do the same.

What is the future of physics?

What next – what is in store for the future of physics? Multi-disciplinary research is believed to be the way to move forward. Physics itself is already a multidisciplinary science. If you doubt this, just consider for a moment biophysics, chemical physics and mathematical physics.

Henceforth, physicists can approach various problems from multiple directions. It’s amazing what you can do, just using some high school physics knowledge, the internet and a few gadgets. If you add in access to a Fab Lab (fabrication laboratory), you can suggest a solution and even create a physical prototype. 

Thinking outside the box (somehow this statement always reminds me of the particle-in-a-box problem from quantum mechanics) is what physicists excel at, especially when they face real-world problems. Most of people who solve the Schrödinger equation discard solutions which hint at any deviations from conventional understanding of matter, but back in 1928 Paul Dirac, thinking outside the box, predicted the existence of antielectrons. These were later discovered as particles and became known as positrons. Dirac’s portrait is now hung in Skoltech’s Nuclear Science and Technology cluster to remind people of the value of unconventional thinking.

You might wonder: if physicists are so cool, why is our world still in so much trouble? The answer is simple for me. The world is ruled by politicians who are not that good at physics. What can I do about it? Skoltech provides many opportunities to meet great people and to get engaged in many interesting activities. I hope to learn a great deal and gain new skills to affect what is happening around me. Physics will always be my friend in this journey. “Those who are crazy enough to believe they can change the world, will!”

Originally from Ukraine, Andrii completed his Masters in Materials Science and Engineering at South Korea’s KAIST, before joining Russia’s Skoltech (Skolkovo Institute of Science & Technology) for a Masters in Energy Science and Technology. His research interests include alternative energy generation, renewable energy devices and electrochemical energy storage – and he really believes physicists can save the world!

Do you agree that phsyicists can save the world? Share your opinion in the comments below.