A Changing Dichotomy: The Conception of the "Macroscopic" and "Microscopic" Worlds in the History of Physics

Abstract

This short essay traces the conceptual history of micro- and macroscopicity in the context of physical science. By focusing on three distinct episodes spanning five centuries, we show the scientific and philosophical meanings of this antonym pair, despite never being far from "the small" and "the large," have been evolving as the frontier of science advances. We analyze the intellectual and material impetus for these movements, and conclude that this conceptual history reflects the changing interaction between the natural world and humankind.

The winning entry of the 2019 History of Physics Essay Contest organized by the Forum for History of Physics (FHP) of the American Physical Society (APS)