physics as study of ignorance

Contemporary physics is based on the following three main sets of principles:

  1. Variational Principles

  2. Statistical Principles

  3. Symmetry Principles

Various combinations of these principles led to the birth of the following fields:

  • Study of Classical Mechanics (1)

  • Study of Statistical Mechanics (2)

  • Study of Group and Representation Theory (3)

  • Study of Path Integrals (1 + 2)

  • Study of Gauge Theory (1 + 3)

  • Study of Critical Phenomena (2 + 3)

  • Study of Quantum Field Theory (1 + 2 + 3)

Notice that all three sets of principles are based on ignorances that arise from us being inside the structure we are trying to describe. 

  1. Variational Principles arise due to our inability to experience time as a continuum. (Path information is inaccessible.)

  2. Statistical Principles arise due to our inability to experience space as a continuum. (Coarse graining is inevitable.)

  3. Symmetry Principles arise due to our inability to experience spacetime as a whole.  (Transformations are undetectable.)

Since Quantum Field Theory is based on all three principles, it seems like most of the structure we see arises from these sets of ignorances themselves. From the hypothetical outside point of view of God, none of these ignorances are present and therefore none of the entailed structures are present neither.

Study of physics is not complete yet, but its historical progression suggests that its future depends on us discovering new aspects of our ignorances:

  1. Variational Principles were discovered in the 18th Century.

  2. Statistical Principles were discovered in the 19th Century.

  3. Symmetry Principles were discovered in the 20th Century.

The million dollar question is what principle we will discover in the 21st Century. Will it help us merge General Relativity with Quantum Field Theory or simply lead to the birth of brand new fields of study?