Here is an approachable article that puts the subject in more perspective: https://terrytao.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/a-second-draft-of-a-non-technical-article-o

Here is an approachable article that puts the subject in more perspective: https://terrytao.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/a-second-draft-of-a-non-technical-article-on-universality/ https://terrytao.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/a-second-draft-of-... And here's journal paper that gives some examples outside of physics: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0004791 http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal....