AI Contenders for Einstein and Newton's Thrones: Delving into the Groundbreaking Physics Discovery by a Neural Network
Artificial intelligence (AI) has made significant strides in various fields, but its role in discovering new laws of nature has been a subject of intrigue and debate. A recent study, led by a team at Emory University, has shed light on this topic by using AI to uncover new physical laws governing non-reciprocal forces in dusty plasma.
Dusty plasma, an ionized gas containing microscopic charged solid particles, is found in diverse cosmic locations, such as interstellar space, protoplanetary disks, and the rings of Saturn. The AI employed in this study processed data and sought a mathematical relationship in the behavior of particles, building models of particle interaction and revealing deviations from the values predicted by classical plasma physics.
The new law of nature discovered by the AI concerns physical phenomena in dusty plasma. The study has provided more accurate models than previous theories, correcting inaccuracies in existing assumptions. However, it is essential to note that these deviations have been studied extensively by physicists for a long time and are not entirely new laws.
Vladislav Nikolaev, a senior research scientist at the Laboratory of Supercomputer Methods in Condensed Matter Physics at MIPT, discusses the scientific talents of machine learning algorithms and their role in discovering new laws of nature. He emphasizes that while AI is a powerful tool in pattern recognition and extracting mathematical relationships from existing data, human physicists still play a crucial role in designing the AI frameworks, interpreting results, developing hypotheses, and validating new laws experimentally.
AI has also been the driving force behind a scientific success in other areas, contributing to the discovery of new laws of nature and the development of new technologies. For instance, the AI-based program AlphaFold was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry last year for predicting the structure of new drugs.
However, it is essential to handle claims of discovering new laws of physics using neural networks with caution. While AI can reveal new patterns and offer refinements within known physics domains, it is yet to routinely discover entirely new universal laws that significantly differ from established ones.
In summary, AI mainly excels at pattern recognition and extracting mathematical relationships from existing data. Yet, in some cutting-edge research areas, it is beginning to discover novel physical insights or corrected laws that improve upon established theories. These discoveries are emerging but currently rare and depend heavily on expert human guidance and interpretation.
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