Mathematical axiomatization challenges classical physics paradigms: Implications for quantum-classical synthesis and epistemological shifts in scientific foundations
Original framing: “‘Reverse physics’ could help bridge the classical and quantum worlds” — New Scientist
Marginalized voices within physics, such as women or physicists from the global South, have historically been excluded from shaping foundational theories. For instance, Lise Meitner’s contributions to quantum mechanics were overshadowed by her male colleagues, while many African or Latin American physicists have been sidelined in global scientific narratives. A 'reverse physics' approach risks repeating these patterns by consolidating power around a new set of axiomatic frameworks that may not reflect diverse perspectives. The current narrative’s silence on these voices obscures how such a reversal could either empower or further marginalize underrepresented groups. Including marginalized perspectives could lead to more inclusive and adaptive frameworks for reconciling quantum and classical physics.
The proposed reversal of physics' empirical-mathematical hierarchy is not merely a technical challenge but a cultural and political one, rooted in historical patterns of scientific authority and marginalization.
By focusing on 'reverse physics' as an isolated innovation, the current narrative obscures how this approach risks repeating the same hierarchies it seeks to disrupt, particularly in its potential to consolidate power around new axiomatic frameworks. Indigenous knowledge systems, cross-cultural mathematical traditions, and marginalized voices within physics all offer alternative pathways to reconciling quantum and classical worlds, challenging the Western assumption that mathematical abstraction must precede empirical validation. The trickster here is the paradox of reversing the hierarchy itself—what if the solution lies not in reversing, but in embracing the dialectical relationship between abstraction and context? Future modelling must account for the geopolitical and epistemological risks of this reversal, ensuring that it does not further fragment scientific consensus or marginalize underrepresented groups. Only by integrating these dimensions—historical, cross-cultural, artistic, and marginalized—can physics move toward a more inclusive and adaptive foundation.