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Two years ago, I wrote almost relaxions, a novel way to practise awkward theories – that could hold out said "to hold out rather natural according to some criteria but non all criteria" – which are capable of "explaining" the existence of large numbers inwards physics.

One starts alongside a large, but alone logarithmically large, release of fields in addition to assigns somewhat exotic values of charges nether a \(U(1)\) jurist grouping – in addition to yes, it has to hold out an Abelian grouping which may hold out considered a damning flaw of the whole paradigm. Consequently, 1 finds that at that topographic point exists a scalar boson alongside a periodic make of values whose periodicity is "exponentially large" inwards the release of uncomplicated fields nosotros direct hold used.

Backreaction discusses those papers in addition to some of their recent followups nether the novel brand, Clockworks. It is an OK sentiment – which is likely irrelevant inwards physics but has some risk to hold out relevant – but it tin inwards no way hold out classified every bit the "#1 idea" of a decade or something large similar that.

Instead of discussing the somewhat modest in addition to vague sentiment again, permit me limited my disbelief almost a full general declaration made at Backreaction.




Sabine Hossenfelder wrote:
But at that topographic point hasn’t been a big, novel tendency since the LHC falsified everything that was falsifiable. It’s similar particle physics stepped over the border of a cliff but hasn’t looked downward in addition to directly just walks on nothing.
Wow. So the "LHC has falsified everything that was falsifiable", nosotros hear. So particle physics every bit nosotros knew it is likely dead past times now. What is this judgement supposed to say?




Aside from several suggestive hints of novel physics, e.g. those challenging lepton universality, the results from the LHC direct hold been compatible alongside the Standard Model – the consummate 1 which has included the Higgs boson in addition to since the 2012 discovery, it should hold out considered a business office of the "old physics".

So it agency that the Standard Model's make of validity or usability is at to the lowest degree a fleck greater than what an average particle physicist believed a few years ago. The make of validity may maintain on growing. But this increase may also abruptly halt at whatever 2nd inwards the time to come if in addition to when novel physics is discovered.

What has the LHC falsified? It has alone falsified theories that could direct hold been falsified past times now, i.e. theories in addition to models that made a theatre prediction that effects deviating from the Standard Model may hold out experimentally proven inside 35 inverse femtobarns of the proton-proton collision information at the center-of-mass unloosen energy of \(13\TeV\). That's the right clarification of the sentence.

The LHC has alone falsified what it could direct hold falsified past times the finite amount of information at the limited unloosen energy available every bit of today.

In other words, in 1 lawsuit you lot clarify the demagogically simplified judgement past times Hossenfelder, it turns into an absolutely vacuous in addition to useless tautology in addition to you lot realize that at that topographic point is aught peculiarly "fatal" almost the electrical flow 2nd inwards the history of physics. But the really signal of her in addition to similar demagogues' oversimplification is that they wish to deceive their readers, in addition to because many of their readers are really gullible, they acquire deceived all the time.

Her declaration is just similar the proposition: Life has shown that all people who are nonetheless around in addition to who could direct hold died are immortal.

Is that true? Well, it isn't. The fact that you're hold out now doesn't hateful that you lot are immortal, i.e. that you lot tin never die. Exactly inwards the same way, the fact that the Standard Model hasn't been falsified or proven incomplete as of now doesn't hateful that it is the precise theory of Nature forever. And on the contrary, if a theory or image doesn't imply sharp, discoverable predictions of novel effects inwards the dataset that the LHC has collected, it just doesn't hateful that it is unfalsifiable.

The zero results of the LHC – which are compatible alongside the Standard Model – select us some information almost Nature, whether you lot similar it or not. At the same moment, the information is less exciting in addition to "contains fewer bytes" because it may hold out summarized past times proverb that things proceed to hold out the same every bit what was established previously.

Before the LHC started, physicists could direct hold already imposed lower bounds on the masses on hypothetical novel particles, upper bounds on the interaction strength of hypothetical novel interactions, in addition to and so on. What the LHC has done was to alter the numbers in addition to so that the statements that tin hold out made directly are stronger than those that were possible 10 years ago. The lower bounds on the novel particles' masses direct hold grown. The upper bounds on the novel forces' interaction strength direct hold been lowered. But all these things are quantitative adjustments. You don't really demand to acquire intellectually demanding novel things – relatively to what you lot should direct hold learned earlier 2008 – if you lot wish to sympathize the observations done at the LHC. You may telephone phone it a relief, you lot may telephone phone it sad, you lot may telephone phone it a nightmare scenario, but regardless of the emotional labels, it's a fact. And it's a new fact in addition to scientists are ultimately supposed to notice them, whatever they plough out to be.

So where does it acquire out particle physics? Particular models, especially the ambitious theories predicting novel phenomena that should direct hold been around the corner, i.e. discovered soon, direct hold been killed. More careful models that predict novel phenomena for the LHC but don't sweat to claim that they must hold out around the corner could direct hold been either disfavored, or somewhat favored, relatively speaking, because they were disfavored less than their bolder competitors.

But again, the behave on of the zero results from the LHC on the theories, models, in addition to ideas may hold out summarized every bit a bunch of technicalities, elimination of all the models that were likewise specific, likewise ambitious, in addition to likewise impatient. And some adjustments of numbers – relative degrees of organized religious belief that physicists assign to 1 theory, model, or sentiment or another.

Because afterward the Higgs discovery, the LHC hasn't made whatever qualitative, game-changing uncovering of novel physics, the game hasn't qualitatively changed! Again, this judgement is a tautology but the likes of Hossenfelder practise everything they tin to convince you lot that this self-evidently right tautology is really incorrect. They wish you lot to abandon rational thinking altogether.

So the LHC hasn't changed the qualitative landscape. And the province of affairs is thence analogous to what it was inwards 2008. If you lot wish to practise enquiry of high-energy physics, you lot may nonetheless alternative similar strategies every bit you lot could inwards 2008. You may hold out biased towards "easily falsifiable" theories in addition to models. Needless to say, you lot nonetheless direct hold a risk to succeed in 1 lawsuit the LHC collects a bigger amount of information – or in 1 lawsuit a hypothetical bigger time to come collider collects some data. \(13\TeV\) isn't the maximum possible unloosen energy of particles inwards Nature in addition to 35/fb isn't the maximum allowed integrated luminosity inwards Nature.

But you lot may also hold out proven wrong, just similar the authors of all the "easily falsifiable" models earlier the recent LHC run.

Or you lot may abandon this fanatical wish to acquire famous every bit presently every bit possible in addition to written report the possible ideas that could hold out relevant for the time to come deepening of our agreement of Nature, in addition to practise in addition to so regardless of whether the ideas may hold out experimentally tested inwards the close time to come or not, regardless of the really high energies that they may demand. In other words, you lot may practise the variety of enquiry that is to a greater extent than typical for the hep-th archive than the hep-ph archive.

As I direct hold pointed out several times inwards the past, the novel bunch of zero results should really imply that the relative importance of the hep-th thinking in addition to strategy – non caring whether the ideas may hold out tested inwards the close time to come – should direct hold grown just because those who direct hold followed the other, "around the corner" philosophy of many hep-ph researchers, direct hold (repeatedly) burned themselves in addition to they should acquire a lesson.

But aside from this lesson, it's clear that some people volition maintain on investigating profoundly theoretical ideas, perchance those almost Planck scale physics, spell others volition focus their minds on possible effects that may demo upward at the side past times side collider. Both groups of questions are self-evidently scientific in addition to no amount of fog past times the anti-physics demagogues tin ever alter this uncomplicated fact.

And it's clear that a large business office of the genuinely theoretical ideas in addition to advances, e.g. those inwards string theory, that were celebrated past times the theorists inwards 2007 are nonetheless celebrated inwards 2017. You know, their beingness detached from experiments inwards the foreseeable time to come has been claimed to hold out a disadvantage. But now, afterward the "too ambitious, around the corner" models direct hold been killed, what used to hold out called a disadvantage has been proven to hold out a clear payoff instead.

So the enquiry inwards string theory, quantum gravity, in addition to some top-down parts of quantum acre theory is continuing just similar it did earlier the LHC zero results. Their behave on on these fields has been minimal because they primarily purpose deep mathematics in addition to long chains of argumentation applied to some experimental information that direct hold been known for a rather long time, anyway.

Hossenfelder's demagogic claim that "everything has been killed that tin hold out killed" isn't just some isolated wrong declaration that has no consequences. She wants this slice of rubbish to direct hold consequences, in addition to so the next paragraph of hers said:
The best candidate for a novel tendency that I saw inwards the past times years is the “clockwork mechanism,” ...
She basically says "all of theoretical particle physics has been killed in addition to directly almost everyone has to written report the clockwork mechanism". Needless to say, alone consummate idiots – a laid that may include herself – would trust such a statement. Almost no of import qualitative sentiment inwards particle physics has been "killed" – despite the $10 billion, the LHC is just a way likewise weak histrion for such tasks – in addition to the clockwork machinery remains a tiny percentage of the enquiry activity inwards particle physics.

In the quote above, you lot may encounter the discussion "trend". Fake researchers such every bit Ms Hossenfelder are non trying to practise actual science. They are trying to hold out trendy – in addition to rely on those intruders inwards the broader community who remember it is plenty to hold out trendy. They are trying to notice things that they consider "trends" in addition to pretend to hold out up-to-date. But 1 can't really practise serious physics (or whatever other science) inwards this way. Physics is working on a tenth flooring of a skyscraper in addition to you lot should amend hold out sure as shooting that at that topographic point are ix floors beneath you lot if you lot wish to practise something sensible on this floor. Even though she accuses others, Hossenfelder is a bully instance of soul who wants to hover inwards the air higher upward a cliff. Sorry but it won't work. If there's air beneath you, gravity volition construct sure as shooting that you lot autumn to the asphalt in addition to intermission your skull.

The actual progress doesn't appear inwards some isolated novel ideas that "throw away all the previous physics" in addition to await for a tendency of the recent years or months. The actual progress by in addition to large takes house inwards the "minitrends" that are alone visible inwards the subdisciplines of particle physics, to those who are skilful plenty to know sure as shooting primal things that were established inwards the past, in addition to non just the recent "trends".

(OK, at this point, I can't avoid thinking almost a recent query past times Kashyap who also seems willing to hear almost "trends" in addition to he thinks that he may hold out ignorant almost all the previous scientific results. Sorry, you lot can't.)

But permit me furnish to the outset offensively demagogic judgement again:
But at that topographic point hasn’t been a big, novel tendency since the LHC falsified everything that was falsifiable.
It also implicitly says that physicists direct hold been lame in addition to failing late in addition to they haven't fifty-fifty been able to invent some large fashion inwards recent times... Which recent times is she talking about? The timing is deliberately undefined inwards the sentence. But no large "trend" has occurred "since the 2nd when the LHC has falsified everything that could hold out falsified".

I direct hold already explained that it's pure rubbish to claim that the "LHC has falsified everything that could hold out falsified". But what timing could direct hold been meant past times that sentence? Well, when did the LHC falsify "all" the theories? For example, I paid my $100 bet to Adam Falkowski– which could direct hold been a $10,000 bounty for me if Nature had been to a greater extent than generous – some 2 or iii months ago, inwards belatedly March. That's when reasonable people could direct hold concluded that the LHC had found no novel physics afterward a large plenty bundle of novel searches (my bet was almost 30/fb in addition to it was the amount agreed upon a decade agone – nosotros were non "extending" the deadline inwards whatever way).

It agency that Hossenfelder is basically whining that the particle physicists haven't made a large trend-setting revolution betwixt March 2017 in addition to June 2017. What a catastrophe that they're non doing a trend-setting revolution every iii months!

The type of garbage that is spread past times the likes of Ms Hossenfelder – inwards explicit sentences but also inwards betwixt the lines – is just stunning in addition to it is really clear that she in addition to others wish to plough the readers into large haters of all theoretical physics, the variety of nasty uncultural folks who would throw all of the amazing theoretical physics that people direct hold found into a trash tin without a glimpse of a rational justification.

I am watching "Genius" on National Geographic, I liked the episodes in addition to so far, in addition to there's a lot to say almost them. One modest topic that I e'er found amazing is how identical the demagogy promoted past times the likes of Hossenfelder in addition to Woit is to the Nazi propaganda against Einstein in addition to his physics, especially the dumb rants spread past times Philipp Lenard, an experimenter heading the Aryan Physics motion who just had no clue almost theoretical physics in addition to who licked the Führer's rectum inwards the most recent episode. He was total of the really same Woitian šit almost Einstein's ideas non beingness testable in addition to all this crap.

Many people direct hold oftentimes told me that "it shouldn't hold out relevant" that e.g. Peter Woit's grandad was 1 of the key politicians inwards his Baltic province when the murder of 40,000 Jews was organized inwards Riga inwards 1941. Woit can't hold out held responsible for the acts done past times his grandad inwards 1941, tin he? No, he can't, but this hypothetical but non-existent acausal influence isn't the alone possible source of problems resulting from Woit's ancestry.

You know, at that topographic point existed actual influences that are existent in addition to didn't contradict causality. Woit's grandad educated his kids inwards a sure as shooting way in addition to those educated their kids inwards a sure as shooting way. Peter Woit is 1 of those that belong to the latter grouping in addition to when it comes to theoretical physics, he thinks in addition to talks precisely similar a brain-dead Nazi. And this is a employment for me, whether you lot kindly "allow" me to realize this employment or not. History can't hold out changed but nosotros may construct sure as shooting that some of its worst mistakes aren't done in 1 lawsuit again inwards the future. And to practise so, it's damn likewise of import to emphasize e.g. the Nazi roots of Woit's crusade against theoretical physics.

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