4 ms·

I really think that Wolfram's descent into fringe science has hurt a lot of well meaning people that don't know better and think that because he's developed use

I really think that Wolfram's descent into fringe science has hurt a lot of well meaning people that don't know better and think that because he's developed useful software that he should be listened to in these domains.

XorNot 2y ago
The crackpot trajectory of otherwise smart people is fairly well trodden with a number of indicators and nobel laureates who have walked it - one of which is when people start stepping well outside their field...and then also tend to start stepping into "the biggest problems" of wherever they point themselves.
- Mistletoe 2y ago
  I call it helicoptering, my old boss used to love to do it. Helicopter down onto a problem, act like everyone that already studied it was an idiot and hadn’t spent their life trying to solve X, stir a bunch of dust up, accomplish nothing, and helicopter away again to something else.
qaq 2y ago
Oh maybe because he has a PhD in particle physics from Caltech ?
- xanderlewis 2y ago
  Eric Weinstein also has a PhD in physics; it doesn't preclude you being (or becoming) a crank.
  - qaq 2y ago
    What is specifically crank about his theory? From outsiders perspective having theories that require a bunch of extra dimensions just to make the math work sound no less cranky.
    - xanderlewis 2y ago
      I'm not claiming to be qualified to judge it, but it's quite clear that no one who is takes it seriously. He also seems to spend most of his time pontificating about things he has no expertise in and using his genuine expertise in physics to show off in front of easily-impressed podcast hosts — not a great sign.
      - qaq 2y ago
        " pontificating about things he has no expertise in" again he has PhD from Caltech in particle physics he had a good number of published works in quantum field theory how are you coming to the conclusion he is pontificating about things he has no expertise in?
  - gammarator 2y ago
    It’s part of their life cycle https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2012-03-21 https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2012-03-21

XorNot 2y ago

The crackpot trajectory of otherwise smart people is fairly well trodden with a number of indicators and nobel laureates who have walked it - one of which is when people start stepping well outside their field...and then also tend to start stepping into "the biggest problems" of wherever they point themselves.

Mistletoe 2y ago
I call it helicoptering, my old boss used to love to do it. Helicopter down onto a problem, act like everyone that already studied it was an idiot and hadn’t spent their life trying to solve X, stir a bunch of dust up, accomplish nothing, and helicopter away again to something else.

qaq 2y ago

Oh maybe because he has a PhD in particle physics from Caltech ?

xanderlewis 2y ago
Eric Weinstein also has a PhD in physics; it doesn't preclude you being (or becoming) a crank.
- qaq 2y ago
  What is specifically crank about his theory? From outsiders perspective having theories that require a bunch of extra dimensions just to make the math work sound no less cranky.
  - xanderlewis 2y ago
    I'm not claiming to be qualified to judge it, but it's quite clear that no one who is takes it seriously. He also seems to spend most of his time pontificating about things he has no expertise in and using his genuine expertise in physics to show off in front of easily-impressed podcast hosts — not a great sign.
    - qaq 2y ago
      " pontificating about things he has no expertise in" again he has PhD from Caltech in particle physics he had a good number of published works in quantum field theory how are you coming to the conclusion he is pontificating about things he has no expertise in?
- gammarator 2y ago
  It’s part of their life cycle https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2012-03-21 https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2012-03-21