“[Modern science] takes common sense for granted.” 
--- J. Robert Oppenheimer

“The last word from modern science is not the first word that the human mind can utter about nature. The modern scientist forms notions about physical things long before he starts his specialized work.” --- Vincent Smith

“We should start the science of physics by studying the simplest physical things that are directly accessible to our senses.” 
--- Anthony Rizzi

These quotes point out that there are fundamental principles of nature that we necessarily use when beginning to do science, which therefore form the foundation of science. These fundamental principles are always present for the scientist, whether they are explicitly understood or simply implicitly assumed and poorly thought out. Recent work by Anthony Rizzi brings to light these fundamental principles and leads to fresh insights into physics. Based on these principles, Rizzi has written a new freshman physics textbook, Physics for Realists. In this presentation, we will explore the textbook’s widely unknown principles. We find that the use of solid first-principles benefits the students’ understanding, and also that the mature physicist can make profound use of the insights. Finally, we address how these principles can be used to make all physical science more rigorous.

Host: Arthur Voter; Admin Point of Contact Lysa Intrator