Exploring the Cosmic Ocean: How Physics Shapes Everyday Life
Have you ever stopped to ponder the vastness of the cosmos? It’s a daunting thought, one that can make us feel small and insignificant. But in his new book, Waves in an Impossible Sea: How Everyday Life Emerges From the Cosmic Ocean, theoretical physicist and science communicator Matt Strassler dives headfirst into the universe, unafraid of its enormity.
Published just this week, Strassler’s book takes readers on a journey through the fundamental laws that govern our universe and how they shape our daily experiences. He reveals that even the most exotic phenomena are not as alien to our day-to-day lives as they may seem.
In a recent interview with Gizmodo, Strassler discusses the origins and goals of his book. He breaks down the dichotomy between physics happening here on Earth and astronomical observations, emphasizing that they are profoundly connected. “The universe…and the stuff that’s inside of us is also mostly empty. It’s the same emptiness. And so there is no distinction between the outer-ness and the inner-ness,” he explains. We are not disconnected from the larger universe; we are made from it.
Strassler’s book is not just for avid readers of particle physics; it’s for anyone curious about how the universe works and how we fit into it. He strips away the complexities of physics that often make it seem irrelevant to our daily lives and focuses on what truly matters. “The goal of this book was to strip away, as much as possible, the things that don’t matter to our ordinary daily existence and focus on the things that do,” he says.
But don’t be fooled into thinking that understanding physics is easy. Strassler acknowledges that these subjects are difficult, not because of complex mathematics, but because they are strange and difficult for scientists themselves to comprehend. However, he believes that by presenting the information in a relatable and accessible way, readers can grasp the foundations of physics and gain a sense of how the universe works.
Strassler’s book is not just a recollection of his years of research; it’s a culmination of his work as a science communicator. Through his blog, Of Particular Significance, he has been able to engage with readers and understand their struggles in comprehending complex scientific concepts. This experience has shaped his approach to writing the book, ensuring that it groks with the average reader.
The discovery of the Higgs boson, often hailed as one of the most significant scientific achievements of our time, plays a central role in Strassler’s book. He explains that the story of the Higgs particle is really a story of the Higgs field, which affects our lives in various ways. To understand the Higgs field, one must delve into Einstein’s theory of relativity and quantum physics. Strassler takes readers on this journey, providing them with the necessary knowledge to comprehend the Higgs field.
Looking towards the future, Strassler acknowledges that we are in an interesting place in our understanding of the universe. The discovery of the Higgs boson and gravitational waves has brought us closer to answering some fundamental questions about how the universe works. However, there is still much left to discover. Strassler emphasizes that we do not have a clear path forward; there are many possibilities, but we don’t know which one is the best. He hopes that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which will continue running for another 10 years, will provide some clues.
While some may be quick to dismiss the LHC because it hasn’t yielded groundbreaking discoveries since the Higgs boson, Strassler reminds us that there is still a tremendous amount of data to analyze. He believes that there may be something yet to discover within the existing data, and we should not write off the LHC just yet. The most interesting discoveries often come from the unexpected, and Strassler encourages us to be imaginative in our analysis of the data.
In Waves in an Impossible Sea, Matt Strassler takes readers on a captivating journey through the cosmos. He breaks down the barriers between physics on Earth and astronomical observations, showing us how deeply connected we are to the universe. His book is a testament to the importance of understanding physics and how it shapes our everyday lives. So next time you find yourself pondering the vastness of the cosmos, remember that you are not separate from it; you are made from it.
