Weinstein's Persuasion On Quanta, Geometry Is Upside Down

Big Think has posted the next 10-minute monologue past times Eric Weinstein, a trader working for Peter Thiel, the guy who is non the writer of the Wolfram Mathworld (just a similar name, thank you lot psi_bar), a guy who promised us a theory of everything but all nosotros got too hence far was some incoherent babbling, too the blood brother of a far left ex-professor who has even too hence move a target of some of his approximate comrades, namely fanatical opposite racists inward the Academia.



Weinstein says that inward the recent xl years, we've made a large progress inward "mathematics of land theory" which was skillful for quantum land theory too full general relativity. OK, ane could maybe summarize the progress inward this way although I wouldn't. But inward the next sentence, he complains that

we ended upwards geometrizing the quantum rather than quantizing gravity which nosotros had wanted

and that's supposed to last "disappointing" because physicists only got a "golden historic flow of mathematics of theoretical physics" rather than "golden historic flow of theoretical physics". Wait a minute, this is quite a disceptation that deserves some commentary.




First of all, the thought that "what nosotros desire is to quantize geometry" is a naive view of a mediocre undergraduate educatee or a crackpot who was told past times his instructor: Sit down, last quiet, last obedient, too only mechanically house a chapeau to a higher house every classical score of freedom. If you lot house the chapeau really nicely too symmetrically, you lot volition brand it at the quantum theory of gravity which is obtained from the classical theory past times this straightforward physical care for of "quantization".

"If you lot house the chapeau really nicely," the teacher continued, "you may non only earn an Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 but also move a professional person theoretical physicist too maybe a novel Einstein."




As Weinstein has correctly observed, this is non what happened. The people who direct hold this thought nearly quantum gravity – who believe that this should direct hold happened too it would direct hold been improve – are unimaginative, misguided, unimpressive individuals who direct hold misunderstood basically all the of import lessons nearly the human relationship betwixt gravity too the quantum that nosotros direct hold learned inward recent decades, indeed. They belong to the broader community of loop quantum gravity, spin foam, causal dynamical triangulation, too Garrett Lisi cranks who only aren't skillful physicists – they just dear to star equally them inward front end of the totally misinformed laymen reading the low-quality contemporary mainstream media.

Some quantum theories may last obtained past times the physical care for of quantization. For example, the quantum harmonic oscillator, hydrogen atom, other atoms, too most perturbative quantum land theories are to a greater extent than or less "uniquely" obtained from the combination of their classical boundary too the universal principles of quantum mechanics. In some sense, the special data needed to define the detail quantum theory is already obtained inward the classical theory. The quantum theory is an appendix, a derivative of its classical counterpart.

But that's only skillful for the situations from undergraduate textbooks.

Quantum theory isn't just some ornament of a classical theory. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 quantum mechanical theory is "the main" player, the standalone too self-sufficient entity, too the right way to depict the human relationship betwixt the corresponding classical too quantum mechanical theory is that

the classical theory is a classical, \(\hbar\to 0\) limit, of the quantum theory.

The quantum mechanical theory is the primary theory and, past times the way, you lot may sometimes expose the \(\hbar\to 0\) classical boundary inward the parameter infinite of the quantum mechanical theory – and/or the situations that it describes. I said sometimes because it's non fifty-fifty truthful that every quantum mechanical theory has a classical limit. Also, a quantum mechanical theory may direct hold several classical limits. QED may last said to direct hold the classical boundary inward the shape of classical electrodynamics; but it also has a classical boundary of mechanics of high-energy photons (that no longer exhibit the interference phenomena inward exercise because their wavelength is also tiny).

The (2,0) theory inward vi dimensions is an instance of a theory that can't last obtained equally a quantization of a classical theory, at to the lowest degree non inward a known way that would know nearly all the properties of the (2,0) theory that direct hold been established. In the realm of quantum gravity, 11-dimensional M-theory is the most far-reaching instance of a theory that isn't whatsoever "quantization of a classical theory". Also, the Seiberg-Witten handling of \(\NNN=2\) supersymmetric guess theories inward iv dimensions involves monodromies on the moduli infinite that don't be inward the classical theory. Because weakly coupled regimes are exchanged amongst others nether the monodromy, ane may state that it's impossible to convey whatsoever universal \(g\to 0\) classical boundary of the quantum theory.

And this is just the beginning. The actual insights nearly the utilization of quantum mechanics inward many theories that direct hold been uncovered inward recent xl years are much deeper, to a greater extent than diverse, too to a greater extent than numerous. The thought that a quantum mechanical theory is just an appendix of a classical theory, too the undertaking for a theoretical physicist is just to "place hats" i.e. "quantize" a classical theory inward a overnice way, has been proven to last utterly childish. I insist that everyone who silent imagines the human relationship betwixt classical too quantum theories inward this way hasn't gotten beyond basic undergraduate courses that depend on quantum mechanics too he has misunderstood the profound lessons of theoretical physics of recent xl years completely too entirely.

Now, Weinstein has complained that nosotros learned something I described to a higher house – instead of learning what he had wanted to learn, namely that it's plenty to house hats on some heads too you lot may consider yourself a genius. It's "disappointing", nosotros take away heed from Weinstein. Whom is it disappointing for? It's for sure disappointing for mediocre physics students who just believed that their narrow-minded undergraduate ideas "what is plenty to orbit a course" are also plenty to larn nearly the deepest secrets of the Universe. Sorry, Eric, but those aren't enough.

More generally, the real thought that "one should direct hold learned just what he had wanted to larn from the beginning, otherwise he is disappointed" shows Weinstein's fundamentally anti-scientific approach to the truth. It's the whole betoken of the research, specially scientific research, that the researchers don't know the answers to start with. If they had already known the answers to all the deep questions, the enquiry would last a meaningless too worthless waste product of time. Researchers non only often larn something else than they direct hold expected too they figure out that they were way also naive or overlooked something; truthful physicists are really happy whenever that happens. Weinstein has neither the encephalon nor the midpoint of a physicist because he feels disappointed inward these situations when something profoundly novel too game-changing is really learned.

What nosotros direct hold learned nearly the roles that quantum mechanics plays within detail quantum mechanical theories is amazing. And every mortal who has both talent too midpoint for theoretical physics is absolutely stunned past times these advances too realizes that they direct hold changed our view of the Universe forever too irreversibly. It's also bad that Eric Weinstein doesn't belong amid these natural talents but there's no slow gear upwards here.

To focus on some other judgement past times Weinstein, he says that it's "disappointing" that the progress occurred "only inward mathematics" too "not inward physics". I am distressing but past times such propositions, too Weinstein has repeated them many times, he shows that he's real roughly pseudointellectual garbage similar Sabine Hossenfelder's "lost inward math". In fact, the primary betoken – of Ms Hossenfelder, Mr Horgan, Mr Weinstein, too fifty-fifty Mr Smolin, too likely others – seems to last just the same. Mathematics cannot last deep too it cannot affair for the truly of import questions. Those must last decided too settled past times some philosophical powers that transcend mathematics. So it's right to sling mud on everything that requires quasi-rigorous, careful, mathematical thinking. Hossenfelder, Horgan, Weinstein, Smolin, too others don't similar it. Mathematics cannot move a king. It's at most a slave whose duty is to pattern hats of the overnice shape for the real bosses who don't fifty-fifty direct hold to know the relevant mathematics well.

I am distressing but this is consummate hogwash. Mathematics is absolutely essential inward theoretical physics. It's been essential since the real offset – when Isaac Newton established physics equally nosotros know it too had to invent some branches of mathematics, specially calculus, to brand it possible. And the importance of mathematics has only increased since the times of Isaac Newton. Of class mathematics plays an fifty-fifty to a greater extent than decisive utilization inward theoretical physics than it did during Newton's life. It is the existent manlike mortal monarch of the describe – mathematics is both the creative too bold genius that looks for novel ideas too fresh ways to organize them too connect them; equally good equally the concluding impartial arbiter that decides which ideas direct hold to last eliminated.

If you lot desire to human face for of import ideas inward theoretical physics without mathematics, you're guaranteed to fail, Eric. If you lot desire to dissever the right ideas from the incorrect ones without mathematics, you're jump to last a failed, unfair justice whose verdicts are uncorrelated to the truth – or worse. Equally importantly, the "progress inward theoretical physics" too the "progress inward the agreement what mathematics agency for theoretical physics" are really exactly the same thing. If you lot don't acquire it, you're only trying to create some theoretical physics that has nada to create amongst mathematics – i.e. nada to create amongst the careful thinking too the sophisticated fragile structures that direct hold dominated theoretical physics for a real long time. You only cannot acquire anywhere amongst this layman's attitude.

Mathematics is ultimately a vital language inward theoretical physics that only expresses some principles, ideas, or laws inward a rigorous too reliable way. But the principles, ideas, or laws direct hold to last at that spot inward physics – too hence they are physical inward character. Mathematics is needed to state what those just are; too it's needed to create upwards one's heed whether they're right, too. But equally long equally nosotros beak nearly principles, ideas, too laws of physics, they are physical fifty-fifty if nosotros demand an arbitrary hardcore mathematical linguistic communication for them to last described, commented upon, or predicted.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 uncomplicated example. The \(\NNN=4\) guess theory inward iv dimensions has the \(SL(2,\ZZ)\) S-duality group. I chose this instance because it uses some mathematical objects too annotation such equally the symbol \(SL(2,\ZZ)\) for a discrete group. So this duality grouping – found almost just xl years agone – is an instance of the progress inward "mathematics of land theory" that Weinstein has acknowledged at the real beginning. But at the same moment, this grouping does immensely physical things amongst physical objects. It exchanges electrically charged particles amongst magnetic monopoles. Or it adds a multiple of the electrical accuse to the magnetic accuse inward gild to redefine the latter. It maps limiting situations – simplified ways to hash out existent situations – on each other, too and hence on.

The whole thought that at that spot is a gap betwixt mathematics too physics within theoretical physics too if you're on the mathematical side of this gap, you lot should last disappointed, is utterly idiotic. There is absolutely no gap at all. There cannot be whatsoever such gap inward physics. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 dependent land amongst such a gap separating mathematics from the balance couldn't last physics too shouldn't last called physics. Mathematics is penetrating theoretical physics – it's absolutely everywhere. Mathematics is what the veins of theoretical physics are made of, too the blood that circulates through these veins of theoretical physics is made of mathematics, too. What other veins too bloods within theoretical physics would you lot prefer, Mr Weinstein? Some P.R. blood? It for sure looks so. Weinstein manifestly prefers the utilization of mathematics that it plays inward junk sciences (like the climate hysteria): authors of junk scientific discipline newspaper dear to include some mathematical symbols too jargon to brand their newspaper human face more scientific inward the eyes of those who direct hold no run a peril to sympathize anything, but this mathematical masturbation too related jargon has really no impact on whatsoever of the key conclusions. This is non science.

Everything else that Weinstein says inward the share I direct hold watched is wrong, too. At 2:10, nosotros larn that the infinities inward quantum land theory of the 1940s etc. were just a technical employment too led to no revolution. Sorry but this is also a delusion. The infinities were a proof that physicists really didn't sympathize what the theory was – too Eric Weinstein silent misunderstands it, equally I mentioned. In the 1970s, it was realized that the infinite price are artifacts of some short-distance physics that may last undetermined but whose long-distance boundary may last universal or determined past times several parameters. This agreement of the so-called "Renormalization Group" was a revolution. It was a revolution showing the urgent demand to holler upwards deeply nearly the mathematical objects too operations nosotros create inward physics, a revolution showing the inseparability of mathematics of physics. It was a revolution both inward "mathematics of theoretical physics" too inward "theoretical physics" itself – I direct hold already mentioned that those are really the same – too Ken Wilson got a well-deserved 1982 Nobel prize for the Renormalization Group that has deeply affected both statistical physics (and thermodynamics) equally good equally quantum land theory, too showed their kinship, too. Many deep physicists quote the Renormalization Group equally the most revolutionary insight of physics of the in conclusion 50 years. Weinstein's claim that "this was just a technicality too nada revolutionary was at that spot to learn" is both immensely ignorant too unbelievably arrogant. It's incorrect too profoundly unethical for people who are this clueless nearly modern physics to pretend that they know something nearly modern physics.

The mass of the actual value of theoretical physics equally nosotros know it today is composed of such profound principles too he seems to dismiss equally good equally misunderstand every unmarried ane of them.

Around 3:00, he suggests that string theory (and related insights) is "more sociological than physics". Holy cow, your encephalon is just a pile of šit. You're exactly on par of Ms Hossenfelder now. She got her physics PhD for her vagina too ane is tempted to believe that Peter Thiel has teamed upwards amongst you lot for an analogous argue (believe me, this theory passes the firstly consistency cheque because ii minuses give you lot a plus). Sorry but past times proverb something similar that, you lot are falling to the deepest cesspools out there. If you lot believe that string theorists direct hold been a hush-hush cabal that really doesn't create whatsoever company physics too instead is playing P.R. games, you lot acquire it upside down. It's likely to a greater extent than comfortable for the likes of Mr Weinstein to believe such roughshod conspiracy theories instead of accepting that he wouldn't direct hold a run a peril to brand it amid the top theoretical physicists today – because non only he can't create enquiry on string theory; he doesn't direct hold a sufficient IQ to figure out whether the theory exists or is just a fairy-tale. I don't really believe you lot believe that conspiracy theory, Mr Weinstein, because you lot can't last that dumb. You know that it's consummate nonsense – too on the contrary, it is šitty physics haters similar you lot who are just doing inexpensive P.R. too impressing lots of extremely stupid people. This abuse of Big Think is an instance of that.

Šit nearly contacts amongst experimental reality. String theory has understood everything nosotros direct hold experimentally observed – the GR too guess theory limits of whatsoever feasible stringy vacuum are plenty for that. To move deeper, ane only needs to hash out things that cannot last reasonably expected to last observed inward a foreseeable future. This fact is absolutely obvious – at to the lowest degree I had no doubts nearly it already when I was xv or too hence – too if you lot direct hold a psychological employment amongst the agreement of this small fact, you lot are the same form of a moron equally all those Horgans too others. I just loathe when morons similar that pretend to last smart.

I won't destination watching the in conclusion 70% of his rant because the firstly 30% has been to a greater extent than than plenty for my adrenaline level. According to the headline inward the HTML page at Big Think, I guess he must last proverb that he's a novel Einstein who finds a theory of everything past times emitting these toxic, hostile, too idiotic lies for the moronic viewers, too I just don't direct hold whatsoever duty to bargain amongst this trash inward its entirety. You suck, Eric.

We alive inward the era of the post-truth. I may know too every competent theoretical physicist likely knows that Eric Weinstein is just a clueless P.R. figure who is completely clueless nearly everything he comments upon – summary of in conclusion xl years inward physics too conceptual foundations of modern theoretical physics. But I can't alter the fact that whole powerful corporations maintain on brainwashing millions of people amongst anti-scientific vitriol past times mistaken physicists such equally Mr Weinstein. And I holler upwards that because the theoretical physics large shots direct hold been too hence decoupled from these wars, they became almost completely incapable to influence the discourse, also – I guess that their influence is fifty-fifty good below that of my blog.