Unification and Emergence in Physics: the Problem of Articulation

TL;DR

This paper examines the challenges of unification and emergence in physics, focusing on how language and mathematics influence our understanding of phenomena across quantum and classical domains.

Contribution

It explores the role of articulation in addressing the limits of current physical theories and the problem of explaining emergent phenomena.

Findings

Highlights the difficulty of explaining emergence within current frameworks

Discusses the limitations of language and mathematics in unifying physical theories

Proposes that articulation is key to advancing understanding of complex phenomena

Abstract

What is physics? What are the limits of what physics can say about the world? In seeking ever-broader theoretical `umbrellas' for physical phenomena, we are seeking unifying principles. Emergent phenomena have turned out to be some of the most difficult to explain, causing a `clash of umbrellas' so-to-speak, at the interface between the quantum and classical domains. This essay explores the role of articulation in this particularly vexing problem and ultimately addresses the question of whether the language and mathematics we use to describe the universe is sufficient in its present form and application.