What Is Physics?

[Photon Guy]

Unlike other sciences, physics can be hard to define. For instance, if we want to give other sciences definitions or short descriptions we could say this, biology is the study of squishy stuff that might smell bad, chemistry is the study of stuff that goes boom, geology is the study of rocks and stuff from the ground, astronomy is the study of the stuff that dots the sky, but what exactly is physics? 

[studiot]

1 hour ago, Photon Guy said:

Unlike other sciences, physics can be hard to define. For instance, if we want to give other sciences definitions or short descriptions we could say this, biology is the study of squishy stuff that might smell bad, chemistry is the study of stuff that goes boom, geology is the study of rocks and stuff from the ground, astronomy is the study of the stuff that dots the sky, but what exactly is physics? 

Why bother ?

Physics is what physicists do and possesses the characteristic that

What physicists do today is different from what physicists did yesterday and what physicists will do tomorrow.

[swansont]

Physics is the study of the behavior (interactions and motion) of matter (fermions) and bosons.

[Sensei]

3 hours ago, Photon Guy said:

but what exactly is physics? 

..everything.. ?

 

3 hours ago, Photon Guy said:

Unlike other sciences, physics can be hard to define.

Exactly, reverse..

 

3 hours ago, Photon Guy said:

For instance, if we want to give other sciences definitions or short descriptions we could say this, biology is the study of squishy stuff that might smell bad,

This is the most childish definition of biology I've heard..

 

 

3 hours ago, Photon Guy said:

chemistry is the study of stuff that goes boom,

This is the most childish definition of chemistry I've heard..

[Intoscience]

It's my understanding that physics is the underlining science of all sciences. 

[exchemist]

11 hours ago, Photon Guy said:

Unlike other sciences, physics can be hard to define. For instance, if we want to give other sciences definitions or short descriptions we could say this, biology is the study of squishy stuff that might smell bad, chemistry is the study of stuff that goes boom, geology is the study of rocks and stuff from the ground, astronomy is the study of the stuff that dots the sky, but what exactly is physics? 

The study of what it is that makes the other sciences exhibit the patterns they do. Physics is the scaffolding on which the other sciences are erected. 

[Genady]

11 hours ago, Photon Guy said:

physics can be hard to define

Why? What is wrong with a dictionary definition?

[John Cuthber]

12 hours ago, Photon Guy said:

Unlike other sciences, physics can be hard to define.

If I want to find a definition of it I can just  Google "define physics" and it will tell me.
I can do thr same with biology or chemistry.

But those words are longer so, in terms of how many letters I have to type, it is actually easier for me to get a definition of physics.

Incidentally,if you are going to garble a joke to make your point, you might as well include the original.

“If it squirms, it's biology. If it stinks, it's chemistry. If it doesn't work, it's physics. And if you can't understand it, it's mathematics.”

― Magnus Pyke

Edited April 6, 2023 by John Cuthber

[Photon Guy]

13 hours ago, Sensei said:

This is the most childish definition of biology I've heard..

 

This is the rudest response I've heard. 

13 hours ago, Sensei said:

This is the most childish definition of chemistry I've heard..

This is the rudest response I've heard. 

[exchemist]

6 hours ago, Photon Guy said:

This is the rudest response I've heard. 

This is the rudest response I've heard. 

But he has a point. It took me a while to decide whether you were asking a serious question or just being facetious. In fact, I'm still not sure.  

[joigus]

It wasn't much of a problem for Hermann Weyl:

Raum, Zeit, Materie

Space, time, matter

I'm starting to suspect the problematic word to many people is not "what", nor is it "physics"

It's probably "is." What is "is"?

[Intoscience]

On 4/5/2023 at 11:19 PM, Photon Guy said:

Unlike other sciences, physics can be hard to define. For instance, if we want to give other sciences definitions or short descriptions we could say this, biology is the study of squishy stuff that might smell bad, chemistry is the study of stuff that goes boom, geology is the study of rocks and stuff from the ground, astronomy is the study of the stuff that dots the sky, but what exactly is physics?

Well if you are going to use very brief,simple and undetailed descriptions, like these you have presented (to be fair to Sensei, they do sound rather childish, in that I would only use your similar descriptions whilst explaining to very young children), then for physics I probably say, (to paraphrase) - physics is the study of motion.

Obviously there is much more to physics, and each field of science, but to a young child who is inquisitive and just starting to grasp the concept of science, then this may suffice.   

I liked this one. 

20 hours ago, John Cuthber said:

“If it squirms, it's biology. If it stinks, it's chemistry. If it doesn't work, it's physics. And if you can't understand it, it's mathematics.”

 

9 hours ago, joigus said:

It wasn't much of a problem for Hermann Weyl:

Raum, Zeit, Materie

Space, time, matter

I'm starting to suspect the problematic word to many people is not "what", nor is it "physics"

It's probably "is." What is "is"?

Ooh... maybe one for the philosophy section me thinks