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Posted by: dvandorn Mar 11 2006, 04:28 PM

As we all know, Isaac Newton was the first person to codify and organize a coherent description of mass and forces and how they interact. This system is called Newtonian physics.

Then Einstein came along, and taught us all that Newtonian physics only accurately predicts behaviors in unaccelerated states. His new system of rules for accelerated systems, defining both special and general relativity, is now called Einsteinian physics.

I guess the next major breakthrough, as small a chink in the wall as it may be, has been Steven Hawking's work to try and reconcile Einsteinian physics to quantum physics.

Will the new physics that comes out of all this be called Hawkingian physics?

If so -- how would you pronounce that?

-the other Doug

Posted by: Bob Shaw Mar 11 2006, 04:51 PM

oDoug:

I dunno, but pronounce it too hard and you'll do yerself a mischief!

Bob Shaw

Posted by: David Mar 11 2006, 05:53 PM

The guys who make up taxonomic names in biology have to deal with this kind of issue all the time, so there are plenty of precedents.

Anyway, the answer, appealing or not, is "haw-KIN-jee-un" (or, if you're British, perhaps "haw-KIN-jun"); and not "haw-KING-ee-an".

Posted by: djellison Mar 11 2006, 06:04 PM

Hawkonian?

Doug

Posted by: deglr6328 Mar 11 2006, 06:43 PM

isn't there already a name for it? quantum gravity?

Posted by: Harder Mar 11 2006, 10:00 PM

For a really good description of the Relativity vs Quantum Physics conundrum, I can recommend The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene. I'm at page 357 at the moment (out of 493 pages plus a lot of Notes) and it is absorbing reading. With the surgical precision of a pathologist the incompatibility between Relativity and Quantum Physics are laid bare, plus some ideas of how it may all glue together.

Highly recommended, "Must Read" category.