How Far Did Newton's Apple Fall? Physical Thinking and Natural Sciences

Szabo, Gabor

The lecture addresses the effect of physics on the development of society and culture. This effect can be traced in two areas. Firstly, perhaps most importantly, yet less tangibly, is the decisive influence it has played on the development of the way we think. The lecture demonstrates this by reviewing the basic characteristics of physical thinking and gives examples of their presence in our everyday apparatus.

The other key area the examined in the lecture is, modelling, the art of physics. The genius of those who have created something great in the field of physics lay in their recognition of the insufficient nature of a habitual model and proceed to create a new one. The correctness of modelling influences the resolution of even the simplest problem.

Physical models have to be experimentally tested. The cornerstone of experiment is the accuracy of measurement - numerous breathtaking examples can be cited to demonstrate how measurement accuracy has revolutionized science and may even transform everyday life.

About the lecturer