Many of us are aware of the strict laws of nature known as conservation of momentum and conservation of energy (first law of thermodynamics). Depending on the specific subject that one studies — be it, for example, high-energy physics, aerospace engineering, biotechnology, or materials science — these principles are recast into different equations that people in the STEM fields apply in problem-solving exercises so it is ingrained early on. There is a well-justified belief that no one has eve...