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tags: #physics #classical-mechanics

The Classical Physics Worldview, primarily established by Isaac Newton, describes a universe that is mechanistic, deterministic, and predictable.

The three pillars of this worldview are:

1. Absolute Space and Time: Space is a fixed, unchanging stage where events unfold. Time flows uniformly for all observers, everywhere.
2. Determinism: If you know the initial conditions (position and momentum) of all particles in a closed system, you can, in principle, predict the entire future of that system with certainty. The universe operates like a giant clockwork machine.
3. Local Realism: Objects have definite properties independent of observation, and influences cannot travel faster than the speed of light.

This framework was built upon the foundations of Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation and his laws of motion. It proved incredibly successful at explaining the motion of everything from falling apples to orbiting planets. However, this intuitive view of reality would be challenged at its core by Relativity and the discoveries of Modern Physics.

Reference

Coursera, "Question Reality: Matter"