Overlords: A Study Where Physics Meets the Muse of History
Description
This book examines the driving forces that lead to civil wars. The authors' approach differs from the familiar historical narrative or story, as they differentiate between "causes" arising from individual wishes and "mechanisms" that arise from social activity and behavior.
The latter include early-stage conflicts or outbreaks of violence which, if not checked, can lead to social division and more violent incidents. This approach is illustrated using the examples of the American and Irish wars of independence. In both cases, similarities are seen in the emergence of local violent incidents and the use of propaganda to create cohesion consensus within the different opponents. That approach is then employed on a broader basis, looking at revolution in England, France, China, and other countries.
A second part, aiming to show the reader how this approach, rooted in methods used in physical experimentation, can be used and applied to other historical situations for predictive purposes.
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Persons
Professor Roehner is the author of several books and over 60 papers in various scientific journals spanning physics economics, sociology and biology.
He was a guest at various leading institutions including:
Institute of Economics (Copenhagen, September 1996),
Harvard Department of Economics (Summer 1994, Fall 1998),
Santa Fe Institute (2002),
Harvard Department of Sociology (Spring 2002),
Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York (Spring 2003, May-June 2005).
Beijing Normal University (Oct 2007, Sep-Nov 2008), Sep-Nov 2009)
He was co-organizer of and invited speaker at the Prague 2001 NATO Conference on econophysics (8-10 February). A member of the editorial board of a key website devoted to econophysics: www.unifr.ch/econophysics, he is also a referee for various economic or physical journals; e.g. Explorations in Economic History, Journal of Development Economics, International Regional Science Review, Journal of Economic Behavior, Physica A, or institutions, e.g. the National Science Foundation.
Professor Richmond studied physics at Queen Mary College London and is now the author of over 100 publications in various journals and books covering econophysics, sociophysics. colloid science and solid state physics. He has spent time at various institutions including:
University of Kent UK, University of New South Wales, Australian National University Canberra, Bochum University, Trinity College Dublin, Bulgarian Academy of Science, Institute of Food Research UK and Unilever Research Port Sunlight UK.
He was Chair of two large EU COST Actions each with 27 countries participating: Physics of Risk (2002-6) and Physics of Conflict and Cooperation (2007-11).
He is a member of the editorial board of Physica A and a member of the research committee of the Research Committee of the UK NSFT NHS Hospital Trust concerned with mental health.
Content
Concepts.- Subjugation at micro-social level.- Subjugation at state level.- Conclusions.