The physical sciences have become fragmented, after years of division of labor and specialization, to a point where highly-trained professionals in close proximity often have very little understanding of the work done by their peers and colleagues – even if they are working ‘together’ on the same project. While a ‘divide and conquer’ strategy can solve many problems and it allows work to continue even when our understanding is incomplete; this approach leaves gaps in people’s essential or working knowledge of Physics. This is a primary cause for the fact certain problems in fundamental Physics, like how to reconcile Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, remain unsolved after so many years of work and continue to be vexing enigmas. Seeing things from outside the silos of specialized knowledge could be the cure for this.
Jonathan J. Dickau
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