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I think this paper is an effect of there being not much to do in theoretical physics these days. I mean, there's plenty of work that can be done, but I think it
by 0xWTF 2y ago
I think this paper is an effect of there being not much to do in theoretical physics these days. I mean, there's plenty of work that can be done, but I think it was Feynman who said all physics that could ever affect humanity was described by the 1963. Since the Higgs was discovered in 2012, we've covered pretty much everything in the Standard Model. I'm sure there's some intellectually interesting problems left to solve, but it's hard to believe they'll affect us.
Nevertheless, societies still need physicists, and those physicists, by the nature of how incredibly challenging the "industrial" problems are (e.g. designing next generation fusion weapons), need challenging problems. Indeed, they crave them. And so you're sort of stuck solving progressively more esoteric and even contrived problems.
- aebtebeten 2y agoIn https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40572593 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40572593 Arnold, his tongue in cheek (and channelling his inner GJC), suggests a tripartite division of maths according to the industrial form which supports the pure researches: - Celestial Mechanics (support: the descendants of von Braun): dynamical systems, linear algebra, topology, variational calculus, symplectic geometry - Cryptography (support: CIA, SVR, etc.): number theory, algebraic geometry over finite fields, algebra, combinatorics, and computers. - Hydrodynamics (support: boomer builders): complex analysis, partial derivative eqn's, Lie groups/algebras, cohomology theory, HPC. Might there be one small village of pure mathematicians still holding out against the industrial support? (resident druid: Dunforkix) Lagniappe: https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/apply https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/apply
- belter 2y ago> And so you're sort of stuck solving progressively more esoteric and even contrived problems. Good Science spreads into Technology where you least expect: https://youtu.be/-OkwGDKoY0o?t=2715 https://youtu.be/-OkwGDKoY0o?t=2715 Even the study of Black hole horizons could a have a direct and immediate usefulness for your Fluid Mechanics Engineers: https://youtu.be/-OkwGDKoY0o?t=2851 https://youtu.be/-OkwGDKoY0o?t=2851
- dwheeler 2y agoI disagree. We still cannot combine the key theories of the quantum and relativistic world. We don't understand whatvwe currently call dark matter and dark energy. However, it's not clear how to make progress in these areas.