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> This is probably the reason why everyone ~online~ (and not in departments) loved string theory two decades ago, and virulently hates it today Hang on. Which

• monadINtop 2y ago
  No one should hate string theory??? No one should hate any area of valid research? That sounds extremely dogmatic and reactionary. String theory specifically is an extremely rich and fruitful theory that has had huge application to mathematics (mirror symmetry, no ghost-conjecture and the mysterious moonshine etc.) as well as inspiration for theoretical physics (AdS-CFT, Supersymmetry etc.). It is telling that none of the loudest voices telling people to "hate" an area of theoretical research have studied it (or often studied any physics or math, since the technical details, or even a grounded understanding, are superfluous to their "arguments"). >Hang on. Which one are you trying to say is right or wrong? I'm saying they are both wrong If you want to hate something, hate the pop-sci articles that sold it as a "theory of everything" for 20 years, and hate the environment that made it neccesary for researchers to peddle that bullshit in pursuit of funding, don't dogmatically hate an entirely valid area of research just because some mouth pieces who peddle narratives of a very technical field to an audience who aren't able to meaningfully engage with it, have decided to turn against it (i.e. Sabine hossenfield and eric weinstein or whatever their names are).