Some Thought-Provoking Articles Online

[RArvay]

This is a cross-post from:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic ... ZY2H21px0g


1.
http://www.nature.com/news/scientific-m ... cs-1.16535

"This year, debates in physics circles took a worrying turn. Faced with difficulties in applying fundamental theories to the observed Universe, some researchers called for a change in how theoretical physics is done. They began to argue - explicitly - that if a theory is sufficiently elegant and explanatory, it need not be tested experimentally, breaking with centuries of philosophical tradition of defining scientific knowledge as empirical."


2.
http://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=7266

"I don't think though that this will have any effect on multiverse mania and its use as an excuse for the failure of string theory unification. It seems to me that we're now ten years down the road from the point when discussion revolved around actual models and people thought maybe they could calculate something. As far as this stuff goes, we're now not only at John Horgan's "End of Science", but gone past it already and deep into something different."


3.
http://www.worddocx.com/Apparel/1231/8955.html

"This, essentially, is the Smolin position. He gives details and examples of the death of Physics, although he, being American, is optimistic that it can be reversed. I am not."


4.
http://www.edge.org/response-detail/23857

"What really keeps me awake at night (...) is that we face a crisis within the deepest foundations of physics. The only way out seems to involve profound revision of fundamental physical principles."


5.
http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/09/05/peri ... n-physics/

"It's the ultimate catastrophe: that theoretical physics has led to this crazy situation where the physicists are utterly confused and seem not to have any predictions at all."
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[Q-reeus]

Sure looks depressing, even if what passes as 'official majority consensus position' makes light of such bad rap. The contrast of 1980's-to-present frustratingly stymied attempts at formulating a consistent and verifiable TOE/QG, with speed of development of well-enough-to-pass-many-tests early 20th century physics cannot be denied. Have a strong hunch there are drastic upheavals in store - on a number of fronts. And not that far off. Maybe originating from one or more folks here. My suggestion - hold tight and fret not.

[Joy Christian]

Sure looks depressing, even if what passes as 'official majority consensus position' makes light of such bad rap. The contrast of 1980's-to-present frustratingly stymied attempts at formulating a consistent and verifiable TOE/QG, with speed of development of well-enough-to-pass-many-tests early 20th century physics cannot be denied. Have a strong hunch there are drastic upheavals in store - on a number of fronts. And not that far off. Maybe originating from one or more folks here. My suggestion - hold tight and fret not.

Well said. I agree completely.

[Yablon]

Sure looks depressing, even if what passes as 'official majority consensus position' makes light of such bad rap. The contrast of 1980's-to-present frustratingly stymied attempts at formulating a consistent and verifiable TOE/QG, with speed of development of well-enough-to-pass-many-tests early 20th century physics cannot be denied. Have a strong hunch there are drastic upheavals in store - on a number of fronts. And not that far off. Maybe originating from one or more folks here. My suggestion - hold tight and fret not.

No question physics is in crisis and has been for several decades. And as you all know, I am doing all I can to fix that... Ain't easy. And I am talking more about the difficultly of the politics than of the science.

[FrediFizzx]

My prediction for 2015; torsion energy will be making a comeback. And from a very unexpected place.

[Ben6993]

FrediFizzx: My prediction for 2015; torsion energy will be making a comeback. And from a very unexpected place.

Ah! So there will be a subtle twist in the plot?