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Physics is a special case for several reasons, [1] most importantly there is a good theory with the effect that different experiments measure the same thing. So
by yk 10y ago
Physics is a special case for several reasons, [1] most importantly there is a good theory with the effect that different experiments measure the same thing. So once you start looking for a specific deviation from the standard model, you can not only look at accelerator experiments, but also at g-2 experiments [2], or lamp shift or beta decay in the case of the electro-weak interaction. (Or at different places in accelerator experiments, in the sense that data at one point should lead to corrections at another point.)
In other disciplines, the role of repetition is a lot more important. The look elsewhere effect means, that your statistical significance depends on all other research, published or unpublished. [3] If you are doing a repetition study, the look elsewhere effect just goes away. So good science in the first place is very important of course, but there is a lot of value in doing repeated experiments for fundamental statistical reasons. Especially in fields were there is no good predictive theory (everywhere except physics) and where it is very hard to go to very high significance.
[1] I recently read
John Lewis Gaddis, The Landscape of History, 2004
which is a essay on epistemology of history and in a way tries to reject "physics envy," with the argument that physics is everything where there is a good theory, so in a way where we are winning. And consequently physics envy looks a lot like cargo cult, other disciplines need to figure out their own epistemology.
[2] Incredible high precision experiments which measure the magnetic moment of electrons.
[3] https://xkcd.com/882/ https://xkcd.com/882/