How to display science since images have no mass

TL;DR

This paper discusses the limitations of images in representing physical reality, emphasizing that images can depict trajectories but cannot fully capture forces and energies due to their non-material nature.

Contribution

It highlights the fundamental differences between visual representations and physical quantities, proposing that images are inherently limited in depicting dynamical aspects of reality.

Findings

Images can show trajectories in real time.

Forces and energies are not spatially materialized in images.

Symbols like arrows are used to represent forces visually.

Abstract

Education, science, in fact the whole society, extensively use images. Between us and the world are the visual displays. Screens, small and large, individual or not, are everywhere. Images are increasingly the 2D substrate of our virtual interaction with reality. However images will never support a complete representation of the reality. Three-dimensional representations will not change that. Images are primarily a spatial representation of our world dedicated to our sight. Key aspects such as energy and the associated forces are not spatially materialized. In classical physics, interaction description is based on Newton equations with trajectory and force as the dual central concepts. Images can in real time show all aspects of trajectories but not the associated dynamical aspects described by forces and energies. Contrary to the real world, the world of images opposes no constrain, nor resistance to our actions. Only the physical quantities, that do not contain mass in their dimension can be satisfactory represented by images. Often symbols such as arrows are introduced to visualize the force vectors.