Sub-Atomic Particles and Prisoners: A Novel Examination of Socio-Physics and Penology

IntroductionOf late, it has been noted that an interest exists in how the natural sciences can be applied to the social sciences. This interest has encouraged the author to become familiar with the works of many twentieth century scientists. In the process, it was discovered that there exists many commonalities between the natural and social sciences (Blakely & Walkley, 2010). In reality, the lines separating these fields are arbitrary with overlap existing between all academic disciplines. No field is able to claim a monopoly on information or how it may be used to improve the human condition. The great physicist Albert Einstein spent a large portion of his life attempting to explain both the atomic and celestial realms. He insisted that natural events are the direct and predictable result of universal laws (Robinson, 2010; Schweber, 2008; Regis, 1987). This belief led the author to wonder if natural laws could be applied to the social sciences, thereby increasing the understanding of human and institutional behavior. Since Einstein was a physicist and since physics is the most fundamental of all sciences, this paper discusses the concept further.Critical to the approach used herein is the position exemplified by The Vienna Circle - an early twentieth century group of scholars. Its members advocated a unification of all scientific fields (Schweber, 2008; Howard, 2006; Holt, 2005). Einstein himself helped found a similar group called the Olympia Academy, which sought knowledge from a variety of social, philosophical and scientific sources (Robinson, 2010; Bernstein, 2006; Kaku & Trainer, 1987). The activities of these groups foreshadow recent attempts to eliminate the barriers that separate the sciences.Physicists have long insisted that a connection exists between all fields. Lee Smolin (2005), Hans Bethe (1999), Freeman Dyson (1988), and Jerome Rothstein (1952), each an acclaimed physicist, have asserted that all serious efforts to advance knowledge must be rooted in an interdisciplinary approach. In fact, physicists are increasingly using their unique insights to explain human behavior (Curry, 2010). Through this exploration of physics, the author discovered that the connections between physics and penology are numerous and might easily serve as the basis for many papers.This paper has several purposes the first of which is to promote creative and innovative thinking in order to improve the current state of "corrections". Secondly, to show that commonalities exist between seemingly divergent fields and finally, to encourage interdisciplinary-cooperation among students and scholars, alike. Similarly, it is important to explain the meaning of a few terms appearing within this paper in order to avoid confusion. * "Penology" as it is used herein simply refers to the study of the prison, the inmates, and how each affects the other. * The word "socio-physics" is used to suggest that an interdisciplinary approach that blends the social and physical sciences provides needed insight into criminality. * The term "socio-physicists" is used to refer to those scientists that see a value in applying physics to the study of the prison. * Lastly, the term "particle" refers to both protons and electrons while the term "atom" refers to these particles as well as the nuclei around which they accrue.In the Realm of the AtomFor those readers not familiar with physics, it may appear a bit peculiar to compare particles to prisoners. Yet both physicists and penologists engage in similar activities. For example, scientists in both fields practice environmental manipulation. While manipulation in physics tends to occur within the laboratory, manipulation within the prison is also common. In fact, everything from institutional paint schemes to the presence of security personnel is intended to affect inmate behavior. While physicists study everything from particles to the vast expanse of the cosmos, for the socio-physicist, inmates are akin to particles while the prison is comparable to the universe. …