…turbulence has long resisted detailed physical analysis, and the interactions within turbulence create a very complex phenomenon. Richard Feynman described turbulence as the most important unsolved problem in classical physics
Werner Heisenberg won the 1932 Nobel Prize for helping to found the field of quantum mechanics…the story goes that he once said that, if he were allowed to ask God two questions, they would be, “Why quantum mechanics? And why turbulence?” Supposedly, he was pretty sure God would be able to answer the first question.
Turbulence has been on my mind for several weeks. I was stimulated by a conversation with a good friend and scientist who challenged my thinking. Our conversation began with a question about climate change. His protracted response settled on the subject of turbulence, an important factor in establishing absolutes about climate change. He reiterated Freyman’s assertion “turbulence [is] the most important unsolved problem in classical physics“. A conclusion I was left with is… in the absence of a solution to turbulence, understanding and accurately predicting climate change will remain unresolved.
Google searches and definitions, not surprisingly, are dominated by references to aircraft turbulence. For this discussion, upheaval, i.e. disruption, is the way I am thinking about turbulence. Before recent conversations, I perceived turbulence as abnormal, a disruption of the normal state of things. To the contrary, scientist will tell you turbulence is a natural condition, thus the challenge is not preventing or eliminating turbulence but understanding and predicting its behavior.
Those who believe in science and those of us who believe in God share a common dilemma, turbulence. Scientist and, ironically, some God believers, rely on scientific methods for solutions; believing gathering enough information and crunching the data, mystery can be solved. In contrast God believers intuitively understand the inexplicableness of their existence and confess like Job: “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” Job 42:3 NIV
In this series of posts I am attempting to relate the physics problem of turbulence to the problem of turbulence of our lived experience. I believe they may be analogous in some important ways, hopefully understanding the dynamics of turbulence can help us navigate life. Scott M. Peck said: “Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. Turbulence isn’t just a science problem, it is common to humanity—perhaps the most important unsolved problem of life.
Both scientist and theist grapple with the mystery of turbulence, but they view it through different lens. Their views can be compared the difference between an ophthalmologist and a lover looking into an eye, they see very different realities. The ophthalmologist sees a physical object, the lover sees a window into the soul of their beloved.
Part 2 will examine the the physics of turbulence. (Turbulence for Dummies)
Still on the journey