When Stephen Beck, an associate professor at the University of Virginia's Department of Data Science, talks about extreme physics, he doesn't mention any vague corners of science. He describes the powerful forces that touch everyday life, from car airbags to rockets to rockets that launch humans into space.
“These are moments when physics pushes the boundaries,” Beck said. “A great force, high speed, sudden shock – a phenomenon that is too fast, dangerous, or rarely studied.”
Extreme physics can appear everywhere. Explosive power of rocket fuel, whiplash torque in the arm of a baseball pitcher, or delicate reliability of a car airbag. The challenge is that these events are statistical outliers. They don't happen frequently, and when they do, they become notoriously known for being difficult to measure and difficult to predict in traditional ways.
That's where artificial intelligence comes into play.
From outliers to insights
In most cases, machine learning is excellent at finding patterns in large datasets, such as general weather patterns, typical disease progression, and standard voter trends. However, when the interests are extreme, the average is useless. “If you predict that tomorrow will be sunny, I'd be right 99% of the time,” Baek said. “But I miss the tornado.”
Baek and his colleagues use AI to compensate for limited data, respect the laws of nature, and build algorithms that predict what is unpredictable.
“These models can move past averages and study rare and influential events,” says Baek. “They give us speed, accuracy and safety.”
Safer cars, faster rockets, stronger athletes
The application has been extended from a defense system to daily commutes. Consider the explosive rates that inflate your car's airbag. They must ensure that on-demand explodes during a crash, but they will never respond depending on the heat, cold or moisture. Careful modeling of the materials is required under extreme conditions to ensure balance.
A similar challenge faces engineers designing rockets or using controlled explosions. “We want to ensure that these materials are stable during transportation and handling, but are responsive when triggered,” Beck said.
Sports Science offers other impressive examples. Elite athletes like baseball shoes Hei ohtani and Judge Aaron push the limits of human beings. The team will replicate biomechanics by creating digital “twins” computer models that mimic athletes' movements. Simulating subtle changes – arm angle changes, another stride – Coach can optimize performance and prevent injuries without compromising the health of the player.
