Reconcilable differences: Study uncovers the common ground of scientific opposites

Searching for common elements in seemingly incompatible scientific theories may lead to the discovery of new ones that revolutionize our understanding of the world. Such is the idea behind a mathematical framework Princeton University researchers developed that strips away the differences between scientific laws and theories to reveal how the ideas are compatible. In a recent report in the journal Physical Review Letters, the authors explain how the mathematical model finds common ground between the famously at-odds physics equations that govern classical and quantum mechanics. In their paper, the researchers attempt to reconcile classical and quantum mechanics. Simply put, classical mechanics — based on the ideas of English scientist Isaac Newton — describes the ordered laws of motion for large objects and systems. Quantum mechanics relates more to the chaotic motion and activity of microscopic particles. Lead author Denys Bondar, a postdoctoral research associate in Princeton's Department of Chemistry , explained that the Princeton framework — called operational dynamic modeling — is intended to streamline the development of novel theories, a typically painstaking process that can be for naught if the end result does not agree with experimental data.