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I agree with this. I think a lot of the criticism of string theory ignores the fact that a lot of ideas have merit simply because they make you see things from

by epgui 3y ago

I agree with this. I think a lot of the criticism of string theory ignores the fact that a lot of ideas have merit simply because they make you see things from a different angle. Even if they don't replace other models, these sorts of ideas are often worth something. You don't need to "believe" that the universe is literally made up of "the stuff" to appreciate that it could be a valid / self-consistent way of interpreting the world.

echelon 3y ago
This [1] is a fantastic refutation of string theory in that the string theorists have taken more than their fair share of research dollars and public consciousness and that it's time for other branches of physics to get the funding. With limited resources, if you don't context switch, you starve everything else. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kya_LXa_y1E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kya_LXa_y1E
- hindsightbias 3y ago
  The physical manifestation of string theory is a self licking ice cream cone.
- Jensson 3y ago
  That would end a lot of careers that were built on string theory, so it wont happen anytime soon.
scheme271 3y ago
That ignores the fact that string theory is supposed to be a physical theory of the universe. If a physics theory is untestable and can't be falsified, it's really hard to justify funding it using physics grant money. Might as well get funding from the math department.
- Ma8ee 3y ago
  How about a physics theory that can’t be tested yet? That is what they claimed all this time, and I think it is perfectly reasonable to fund a promising theory while they work out the details of how it is going to be tested. The problem with String Theory is that it totally dominated the field for near 4 decades, and the only outcome seem to be some “beautiful” formalisms that they are still trying to make useful somewhere.
  - jjgreen 3y ago
    "We will be able to falsify it in 100,000 years" gives you a handy funding window.
    - Ma8ee 3y ago
      And if one or two, maybe even three researchers, with good track records, want funding for a long shot like this, I think that would be perfectly reasonable. It becomes a problem when it is declared as the one true way and clogs the whole research community for almost half a century.

by epgui 3y ago

echelon 3y ago

This [1] is a fantastic refutation of string theory in that the string theorists have taken more than their fair share of research dollars and public consciousness and that it's time for other branches of physics to get the funding. With limited resources, if you don't context switch, you starve everything else. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kya_LXa_y1E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kya_LXa_y1E

hindsightbias 3y ago
The physical manifestation of string theory is a self licking ice cream cone.
Jensson 3y ago
That would end a lot of careers that were built on string theory, so it wont happen anytime soon.

scheme271 3y ago

That ignores the fact that string theory is supposed to be a physical theory of the universe. If a physics theory is untestable and can't be falsified, it's really hard to justify funding it using physics grant money. Might as well get funding from the math department.

Ma8ee 3y ago
How about a physics theory that can’t be tested yet? That is what they claimed all this time, and I think it is perfectly reasonable to fund a promising theory while they work out the details of how it is going to be tested. The problem with String Theory is that it totally dominated the field for near 4 decades, and the only outcome seem to be some “beautiful” formalisms that they are still trying to make useful somewhere.
- jjgreen 3y ago
  "We will be able to falsify it in 100,000 years" gives you a handy funding window.
  - Ma8ee 3y ago
    And if one or two, maybe even three researchers, with good track records, want funding for a long shot like this, I think that would be perfectly reasonable. It becomes a problem when it is declared as the one true way and clogs the whole research community for almost half a century.