Transcending the Militarization of Physics

Lingering historic military influences in physics and the academy resurface in modern conflicts in Hawaiʻi over telescope planning. I draw upon the philosophy of science of Thomas Kuhn to argue that the suppression of indigenous knowledge systems is part of the Kuhn loss of the paradigm of modern physics, and advocate for protection of indigenous lands and the professionalization of research in the foundations of physics to establish cross-cultural scientific dialogues and genuine inclusion of underrepresented people in physics. First conceptualized in 2012 at Columbia University, I outline an interdisciplinary research strategy in the foundations of physics that aims to take responsibility for the impacts of the Manhattan Project on physics itself. Based on insights in experimental physics and astronomy instrumentation, I show that the high middle ground demands of the Mauna Kea Movement, which cannot be met with astronomy instrumentation or optics, are aligned with my meditations on how to transcend the militarization of physics: that my interdisciplinary research is the path to the end of the era of the telescope as a research tool. Lastly, I introduce Tatem Research Institute, established in 2022 to prioritize research in the foundations of physics and diversify this field.