European Tribune - Comments - String Theory Under Attack!

String Theory Under Attack! | 64 comments (64 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: String Theory Under Attack! (none / 1)

It's about time people gave up on Einstein's idea that "unification" is around the corner, and get to doing real physics

Wait, that's what they're looking for? Isn't this basically the same as the alchemists of old, looking for the underlying "essence" of everything?

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes

by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Jun 25th, 2006 at 11:03:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: String Theory Under Attack! (4.00 / 2)

Well - except for the parts about living forever and turning lead into gold.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Sun Jun 25th, 2006 at 11:20:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: String Theory Under Attack! (none / 0)

Okay, so they have better spin now than they did 300 years ago, or they're simply more cautious? Now it's "building blocks" and "extending the human life-span." Now I'm looking at it this way, that sounds awfully suspicous to me.

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes

by Izzy (izzy at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Jun 25th, 2006 at 11:39:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: String Theory Under Attack! (4.00 / 2)

Einstein wasted the last 20 years of his career pursuing electromagnetic-gravitational unification and ignoring experimental input from nuclear physics. Brilliant people like Ed Witten and Joe Polshinsky have wasted the last 30 years pursuing a mathematical theory with enticing physical implications without any experimental input or confirmation whatever.

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Jun 25th, 2006 at 11:26:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: String Theory Under Attack! (none / 1)

Sorry, that's Polchinski.

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Jun 25th, 2006 at 12:42:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

String Theory Under Attack! | 64 comments (64 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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