The Physics Declare: The Reflections on Seven Brief Lessons on Physics

Yesterday I went on a hike on a local trail with my girlfriend and her cousin.  One of the things I have always liked about hiking is seeing the beauties of nature.  There is a beauty in the trees, the rivers, and the sky above you that is difficult to appreciate at any other time.  Perhaps, it is easier for me to appreciate natural beauty when it is right in front of me than when I just hear about it.

However, there is a beauty in nature that is impossible to see with the naked eye.  There just some things in our world that can only be seen or explained by the equations of science.  Gravity can only be explained through Albert Einstein's general and special theories of relativity.  Atoms and quarks can only be made out with the most sensitive scientific instruments.  But can there be found the same beauty in these equations as there are in looking at a beautiful sunset or a wild forest?

Carlo Rovelli seems to think so in this very short book, Seven Brief Lessons on Physics.  Throughout his seven little lessons, Prof. Rovelli doesn't put forward too many equations for our current understanding of the universe.  Rather, he explains it in beautiful prose.  Indeed, though the science in this book went over my head, Prof. Rovelli's passion is evident throughout.  Not only does he see the universe as beautiful, but he sees the science and mathematics behind our understanding of the universe as beautiful too.

Therefore, I take away from reading this book that science and mathematics itself can be an art as much as any painting or work of literature.  The universe is beautiful, whether we see a beautiful picture of a rainforest, photographs of the cosmos from the Hubble telescope, or in the equations written on dry-erase boards by scientists.

Thanks for reading today's short reflections.  Next Monday, I will be reflecting on SPQR by Mary Beard.  Until next week, happy reading!