The Swings of Science From Complexity to Simplicity and Back
This book is a personal account of some aspects of the emergence of modern science, mostly from the viewpoint of those branches of physics which provided the much needed paradigm shift of "more is different" that heralded the advent of complexity science
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The Swings of Science From Complexity to Simplicity and Back
The Swings of Science
Len Pismen
The Swings of Science From Complexity to Simplicity and Back
123
Len Pismen Department of Chemical Engineering Technion Israel Institute of Technology Haifa, Israel
ISBN 978-3-319-99776-6 ISBN 978-3-319-99777-3 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99777-3 Library of Congress Control Number: 2018955719 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Caption: Romanesque fresco of St. Proculus in the church St. Proculus, 7th century, Naturns, South Tyrol, Italy. Notable is the wrong grip to the rope. Credit: Dietrich Krieger. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Preface
This book comes from an old man who has wandered among different branches of macroscopic physics (see http://pattern.technion.ac.il/), sometimes looking with envy at the lofty heights above and abysses below where “fundamental” physics either soars or penetrates. Most books being published nowadays for the inquisitive lay public are dedicated to these extremes, which, as we know, come together, as many extremes do. Although I cannot avoid them in the course of my narrative, in particular, because they are the parts that swing most amply, this is a book on “normal” science, about which Alfred Tennyson once said: “science moves, but slowly slowly, creeping on from point to point”, science closer to our scale, science that used to be fundamental once, and is still fundamental in unraveling all the complications left behind by those aspiring to reach the extremes. I shall talk not only about successes, but also about failures and controversies, which are unavoidable because science is done by humans. The two seeds of this book a
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