Cliophysics: A scientific analysis of recurrent historical events

• Published in: Europhysics letters Vol. 138; no. 2; pp. 22004 - 22010
• Main Authors: Aruka, Yuji, Baaquie, Belal, Chen, Xiaosong, Di, Zengru, Kim, Beomjun, Richmond, Peter, Roehner, Bertrand M., Wang, Qing-hai, Yang, Yang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Les Ulis EDP Sciences, IOP Publishing and Società Italiana di Fisica 01.04.2022; IOP Publishing
• Subjects: Noise barriers; Noise prediction; Physics; Qualitative analysis
• ISSN: 0295-5075; 1286-4854
• DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/ac5cdd

Named after Clio, the Greek goddess of history, cliophysics is a daughter (and in a sense an extension) of econophysics. Like econophysics it relies on the methodology of experimental physics. Its purpose is to conduct a scientific analysis of (recurrent) historical events. Such events can be of sociological, political or economic nature. In this last case cliophysics would coincide with econophysics. The main difference between cliophysics and econophysics is that the description of historical events may be qualitative as well as quantitative. For the handling of qualitative accounts cliophysics has developed an approach based on the identification of patterns . To detect a pattern the main challenge is to break the “noise barrier”. The very existence of patterns is what makes cliophysics possible and ensures its success. Briefly stated, once a pattern is detected, it allows predictions to be made. As the capacity to make successful predictions is the hallmark of any science, it becomes easy to decide whether or not the claim made in the title of the paper is indeed justified. A number of examples of clusters of similar events will be given which should convince readers that historical events can be simplified almost at will very much as in physics. In the last part of the paper, we describe cliophysical investigations conducted over the past decades; they make us confident that cliophysics can be a valuable tool for decision makers. This is not an ordinary physics paper for it does not focus on a specific question but rather delineates a new field and outlines an innovative research program. Neither should it be seen as an opinion paper for, thanks to its nine co-authors, it offers objective arguments in support of its proposals.