Unity in the Science of Physics

Abstract

I hope that this special celebratory session will become an annual custom at our large conferences—to take time out to survey both the diversity and unity of physics in a common meeting that is undiluted by the multiplicity of parallel sessions that have become the hallmark of our gatherings. Our research endeavors span a wide spectrum of physics, but at the core of every effort is a common creed: to push to the frontiers our understanding of natural phenomena, by measurement and theoretical analysis. In this article, in addition to giving the retiring president's report, I want to address the idea of whether one can identify sources of unity in the science of physics. My remarks may complement those of one of my predecessors and colleagues, Robert R. Wilson, in his 1985 retiring presidential address, “The Sentiment of the Unity of Physics” (PHYSICS TODAY, July 1986, page 26).