Bøker av Bruno (Univ Paris-saclay Mansoulie

Today's physics has led to incredible advances in the technology we use in daily life - from cell phones and GPS systems to PET scans and more. Current theories in physics have been amazingly effective in practical terms. Yet all is far from well: the two foundational concepts in physics - Quantum Theory and General Relativity - are incompatible with each other, and observations of the universe show that our theories are incomplete - at best.While physicists have tried to paper over this impasse by inventing dark matter and dark energy, they remain unobserved mysteries. Adding fuel to the fire of current crises, artificial intelligence threatens to replace our most cherished theories and procedures with arcane algorithms. Worse yet perhaps, the public understands physics poorly, either taking it for granted or fearing and rejecting it completely.Physicists dream of a new universal theory that will completely change how we see our world, much as Einstein did with relativity and Newton with gravity. Likewise, society loves the romantic notion of a single genius heroically creating a massive paradigm shift. Still, is this scenario likely today? Perhaps the next steps in physics will be incremental rather than gigantic.In Physics in Crisis, Bruno Mansoulié uses simple language, insightful examples, and his personal experience as a working physicist to address these fundamental questions and reflect on how today's crises in physics might be solved.

The book comprises 15 short chapters, each presenting an important equation of Physics, from the simplest and oldest, to more complex and recent ones. The target audience is the interested general public, hence no mathematics is involved (beyond the simple expression of each equation).What can a professional "read" in an equation? Does one see a rainbow differently when one knows the law of refraction of light? Do some equations tell more than what they were invented for? The book presents an opportunity to think about the nature of the physical laws (without writing a philosophy treatise): are they written in advance, or only the result of our imagination?Memories and personal quotes in the book underline the intimate relation between a scientist and his research, and the interplay with his personal life. Each chapter is illustrated by a full page artistic drawing by Lison Bernet, sometimes kind, sometimes funny, and always poetic.