Awarded the 2nd Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Basic Sciences, physicist and chemist Michael E. Fisher explains in this interview how his fundamental contributions to the theory of phase transitions and critical phenomena have transformed the modern understanding of matter. Fisher details how the collective behavior of systems composed of a large number of particles can give rise to emergent properties—such as magnetization or changes of state—that are not simply deduced from individual interactions. His work, essential to the development of statistical physics, has influenced disciplines ranging from theoretical chemistry to materials physics. His reflections underscore the value of mathematical theory and modeling in unraveling universal patterns present in nature.
The 2009 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Basic Sciences category goes to physicist and chemis
Awarded the 2nd Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Basic Sciences, physicist and chemist Michael E. Fisher explains in this interview how his fundamental contributions to the theory of phase transitions and critical phenomena have transformed the modern understanding of matter. Fisher details how the collective behavior of systems composed of a large number of particles can give rise to emergent properties—such as magnetization or changes of state—that are not simply deduced from individual interactions. His work, essential to the development of statistical physics, has influenced disciplines ranging from theoretical chemistry to materials physics. His reflections underscore the value of mathematical theory and modeling in unraveling universal patterns present in nature.
The 2009 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Basic Sciences category goes to physicist and chemist Richard N. Zare and physicist Michael E. Fisher, for their independent, fundamental contributions to describing the world at molecular level.
00:00 Introduction
00:05 What does winning this award mean to you in your professional career?
00:59 Your contributions have opened the door to many different fields. Given that phase transitions are so important, why are they important in so many different ways?
03:22 Did you expect the complete divergence of fields when you started in this area?
04:22 Do you have a favorite result?
05:14 You have recently conducted research in biophysics. Why did you choose biophysics?
