Cadmus (Aug 2023)
Physics for Human Security
Abstract
Physics is the basic natural science that studies fundamental constituents of matter and related entities, with the main goal being to understand how the universe behaves. Its contribution to human security is, therefore, at least twofold. On the one hand, physics contributes valuable knowledge to addressing various critical issues confronting the world today, including peace, human rights, inequality, health, food, education, jobs, safe communities and personal safety, energy, pollution, biodiversity, and climate change. On the other hand, physics creates a breakthrough about every hundred years, like the introduction of quantum physics and relativity in the early 20th century. Such a breakthrough leads to an entirely new worldview, followed by new technologies that resolve the most critical problems with completely new technologies that neither existed before nor could have been imagined. Similarly, as quantum physics led to the microelectronic revolution of the late 20th century and current smart machines, another breakthrough in our understanding of nature is possible that could create an even larger revolution, e.g., in the field of quantum computing or understanding of cellular and molecular biology.
