Would the knowledge of physics on a native aquatic planet be similar to our own?
This question was stimulated by the question How would an aquatic race develop computers?.
The answers obviously were based on the aquatic civilization being earth based, but what about a totally aquatic planet. Could evolution based on different requirements be quite different than evolution on Earth, and interpretations of physics also differ?
Seems to me that the usage of light, as opposed to electricity might be more advantageous in an aquatic environment, and we understand very little about bio-luminescence other than it is chemically based. Our understanding of physics is based on our knowledge. Is it not possible that another environment might create other forms of knowledge, and therefore different understandings of physics?
This post was sourced from https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/q/3834. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
1 answer
The hard part here would be that the medium this civilization lives in would be fairly disturbing. Ocean currents can fluctuate easily in certain spots, creating chaotic flows. Maelstroms and other disturbances would mess up the local environment, and rip currents could be devastating to creatures living near the surface. I'm not an expert in marine activity, but I do know that it would be hard for these creatures to avoid interacting with the medium around them.
That said, there are a lot of principles I would think they would figure out:
- $F=ma$: These creatures would realize that if you apply a force on an object, it accelerates. It would be evident after a lot of experimentation.
- Newton's third law: If you push on something, the object pushes on you. In still water, this would be incredibly obvious.
- Gravity: Only very buoyant objects would not sink after some time.
- Conservation of energy and momentum: I think this will follow after playing around with experiments resulting from studying the principles listed above.
Some things they would not figure out:
- Newton's first law: An object in motion might not stay in motion; an object at rest might not stay at rest. Currents will interact strongly with the environment, moving objects around.
- Electricity (and perhaps magnetism): In case you haven't noticed, electricity and water don't mix too well. Unless these creatures are electric eels, electricity won't be a major force (pun intended) in their lives. As for magnetism. . . How many magnetic materials can be found at the bottom of a body of water?
Figuring out more advanced principles would depend on their technological development.
0 comment threads
0 comment threads