3 ms·
Sure, but there's a difference between the accuracy of speculative theory and experiment. Experiment is very reliable -- they never called the 750 GeV bump a di
by knzhou 7y ago
Sure, but there's a difference between the accuracy of speculative theory and experiment. Experiment is very reliable -- they never called the 750 GeV bump a discovery of anything, because it didn't meet the statistical standards. Even things that do meet the statistical standards are often not called discoveries, because the experimentalists think they are systematic errors at play, as we see with MiniBooNE and DAMA.
Speculative theory is not reliable, which is why all the papers on the 750 GeV bump were wrong. But it has never been reliable, because, well, it's speculative! For each new phenomenon there's probably only one right explanation, but far more than one paper. Being 99% wrong has been par for the course for almost a century.
- SiempreViernes 7y agoI mean, if CMS just hadn't played up their 2.3 sigma excess we probably wouldn't have had the 750 bonanza* so don't pretend there is no blood on the experimental hands :p OPERA is a bit of a special case, but BICEP just straight up declared discovery and wanted the Nobel, have you seen their video of when they tell Linde? * Any time I can, I link to the conclusion: http://resonaances.blogspot.com/2016/06/game-of-thrones-750-gev-edition.html http://resonaances.blogspot.com/2016/06/game-of-thrones-750-...
- oefrha 7y ago> BICEP just straight up declared discovery and wanted the Nobel, have you seen their video of when they tell Linde? That’s a bit exaggerated. You mean the champagne popping video? Well, it’s somewhat awkward in hind sight, but a bit of excitement was warranted at that time. I was at Stanford around that time, might even talked to Andrei right after, and don’t recall a festive atmosphere or anything.
- SiempreViernes 7y agoI feel bad for his wife every time I see it now :(
- oefrha 7y agoShe’s also a Stanford physicist. Great person.
- knzhou 7y agoI agree that BICEP was the worst debacle of this kind that’s occurred in recent memory. But also see how the safeguards worked: their results were properly questioned, the hype was over in months, and they did not get a Nobel.