I was recently contacted by Nick Ahmann to alert me to his new book On Progress in Physics and Subjectivity Theory. An Amateur’s Meanderings as Inspiration for Actual Physicists
You can check it out at https://opip.lol/
Nick's a 44-year old German internet entrepreneur who works with https://inisev.com/, a team of international Entrepreneurs, Developers and Freelancers spread out over 17 countries and 4 continents, whose projects revolve around various aspects of the new internet world. It is an impressive looking endeavour.
Nick explained his book to be in the following way
I’m not a scientist, but I’ve always been fascinated by the question what fosters or hinders progress in science. I’ve now written down my thoughts about it in a casual and cheerful tone. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the book because it delves into making science understandable for non-scientists, much like the accessible approach you appreciate in Feynman’s work. I also think you’ll like the many anecdotes, thought experiments, analogies, and the dose of humor.
The book’s main purpose is to analyze how progress in physics came about, and what we can learn from it. Today, this aspect is often neglected; the focus is solely on the outcomes. Yes, the outcomes are what counts at the end of the day. But if we only have a superficial understanding of the path toward them, we’ll never get to the big new discoveries.
The book also analyzes a few specific theories. However, the purpose is not to argue that any of them are true (or false). Instead, they should only illustrate how the identified principles of progress in physics could be applied.Ultimately, the book seeks to unravel novel approaches to problem-solving in physics, providing plenty of inspiration for the reader. And even if it fails at that, at least it’s a fun read.
I've now got an epub copy of the book and have loaded it on my trusty Samsung Android tablet and it will be my main reading while I am travelling in Europe next month.
Stay tuned for my thoughts.
And thanks for the opportunity to read the book, Nick! As an old Physics graduate and former Physics teacher (in a previous life), I have followed many of the more recent developments and am keen to ponder your insights.
