Young Sheldon, off-topic: inward the newest episode of the sitcom, nosotros could receive got seen Elon Musk whose SpaceX stole the ideas how to terra firma on the sea from the 8-year-old Sheldon Cooper in addition to made Sheldon's notebook disappear. It's great he played it because that's how I imagine Musk's companies to operate whenever they do something right. ;-)Unsurprisingly, these deep disagreements had extra consequences. One of the answers that Edward Witten "dared" to say was that M-theory was our candidate for a description unifying split theoretical formalisms quantifying particles in addition to forces that be or may be inward Nature. Wolchover, the journalist, announced her interview on Twitter in addition to 1 dissatisfied reaction past times Ms Hossenfelder was posted shortly afterwards:
There are diverse other candidates for a theory of everything, eg Alain Connes' noncommutative geometry, Asymptotically Safe Gravity, causal fermion systems, E8 theory. The declaration that M-theory is the exclusively candidate isn't exclusively misleading, it's plainly wrong.
— Sabine Hossenfelder (@skdh) November 28, 2017
Hossenfelder repeats the insane 2010 meme past times Nude Socialist that Edward Witten is 1 of around seven similar geniuses – the listing includes Garrett Lisi in addition to a old husband of Lee Smolin – who receive got proposed comparably promising theories of everything. Needless to say, none of the "alternative theories" to a higher house could live on called past times a "candidate for a theory of everything" past times a sane individual who knows the basic materials nigh the limiting in addition to justice theories that contemporary theoretical physics uses in addition to why they're hard to live on unified.
But fifty-fifty if y'all exactly don't acquire whatever of the physics, y'all should live on able to empathise some sociology. Take INSPIRE, the database of papers on high-energy physics, in addition to compare the publication in addition to citation tape of Garrett Lisi in addition to Edward Witten. They receive got some xc in addition to 130,000 citations, respectively – in addition to I demand to emphasize that the start publish is not 90,000. ;-)
The departure is to a greater extent than than 3 orders of magnitude. Even a decade after his "groundbreaking" work, the surfer dude's quantifiable impact is to a greater extent than than 3 orders of magnitude weaker than Witten's. On superlative of that, every citation amidst xc Lisi's citations is vastly less credible than the average followup of Witten's papers. There are really skillful reasons to say that the people who receive got followed "theories of everything" for some years in addition to who consider Lisi in addition to Witten to live on peers (or fifty-fifty recall that Lisi is superior) endure from a serious psychiatric illness.
I recall that this is non Hossenfelder's instance – she must know that what she writes are exactly land in addition to absurd lies, lies whose propagation would live on convenient for herself personally.
OK, thus the fringe would-be researcher Ms Sabine Hossenfelder has suggested that it was politically wrong for Edward Witten to say that the contemporary physics exclusively has 1 feasible candidate for a theory of everything, namely string/M-theory.
Even if y'all hypothetically imagined that Hossenfelder's suggestion nigh "numerous alternatives" was right spell Edward Witten was wrong, it shouldn't receive got mattered, should it have? Wolchover interviewed Edward Witten, non Sabine Hossenfelder, thus the answers should live on aligned alongside the views of Edward Witten, non Sabine Hossenfelder. But aspect what happened.
Thanks to Sabine, we've changed the article to depict M-theory as the leading TOE candidate, noting that other ideas are out in that location claiming to unify the primal forces. Most are duds, but what do people recall of Connes' noncommutative geometry? https://t.co/ajTgIrzTsO https://t.co/09ZYtgDpXI
— Natalie Wolchover (@nattyover) November 29, 2017
(Just to live on sure, Connes' theory is inward no agency a measuring towards a theory of everything. It has zilch to say nigh whatever occupation related to quantum gravity. It's an unusual, non-commutative-geometry-based proposal to unify the non-gravitational forces, similar inward GUT. At the end, it produces some subset of the effective land theories nosotros know. The subset doesn't aspect natural in addition to it has produced predictions that were falsified. For example, Connes predicted a Higgs boson of majority \(170\GeV\) which was ironically the start value that was ruled out experimentally – past times the Tevatron inward 2008. Some huge, TOE-like statements tin sack ever live on made past times someone, possibly fifty-fifty past times Connes, but it is spectacularly obvious to everyone who has at to the lowest degree the basic background that these ambitious claims receive got zilch to do alongside reality.)
Hossenfelder's dumb comment was non exclusively taken into account. The interview was really edited in addition to Hossenfelder was fifty-fifty thanked for that! So for some time, Witten's reply inward the interview belike contained some declaration of the type "M-theory is exactly 1 of many similar alternatives in addition to I, who start conjectured the existence of M-theory, am on par alongside monster minds such as Garrett Lisi". The Quanta Magazine didn't edit the reply quite this colorfully but it did edit it, as Wolchover's tweet says, thus that Witten's suggestion was severely altered.
Wolchover isn't a bad journalist but fifty-fifty independently of whatever cognition of the beef of physics (i.e. fifty-fifty if y'all assumed that it's exactly OK for a scientific discipline journalist non to know that all claims past times Hossenfelder nigh physics of the recent forty years are wrong), I recall that this retroactive edit was an instance of a breakdown of the basic journalistic integrity. You but cannot severely edit the answers past times EW inward an interview exactly because someone else, SH, would prefer a totally dissimilar answer. Such a alter is zilch less than a serious deception of the reader. And regime notation that the Quanta Magazine, funded mainly past times Jim Simons, a rather legendary physical mathematician (and a co-author of a theory that Witten wrote lots of of import followups about), is sure enough amidst the outlets where it's to the lowest degree expected that journalists distort scientists' views. It's almost certainly worse inward all genuinely mainstream media.
Now, I am virtually the exclusively individual inward the world who reacts – at a frequency that detectably differs from null – to these constant scams past times the diverse activists, journalists, popular scientific discipline advocates in addition to hysterical "critics of science". But inward this case, I had a pal. David Simmons-Duffin, an assistant professor at Caltech in addition to a co-author of the newest newspaper co-written past times Witten, may however live on grateful for the skillful plenty slice of furniture I sold him at Harvard, shortly earlier escaping the U.S. on the 2007 Independence Day when my visa was expiring.
Or maybe he had deeper reasons than the furniture. Hopefully. ;-)
I recall most high unloose energy theorists would concur alongside Lubos Motl's (scientific) comments on that article.
— David Simmons-Duffin (@davidsd) November 30, 2017
OK, Wolchover was told – in addition to she could literally remain ignorant of this simple fact if David remained still – that most theoretical physicists would concur alongside my (scientific) comments nigh the "encounter of popular scientific discipline in addition to Edward Witten", in addition to non alongside the comments past times Sabine Hossenfelder. David was careful to bound the blessing past times the describing word "scientific" to live on sure that he didn't dare to bill someone from believing inward some right-wing or otherwise politically wrong views nigh broader questions. I volition supply to a news whether these things are really as split as David suggests.
Right now, Witten's reply inward the interview says "M-theory is the candidate for the amend description" which sounds OK enough. At the top, the article says (seemingly on behalf of Ms Wolchover) that M-theory is the "leading candidate" in addition to a clarification at the bottom says that an edit was made. Maybe the statements were edited twice in addition to they're tolerable now. But the really fact that Hossenfelder's hostile opinion nigh the publish of theories of everything was incorporated to an interview that should receive got built on Witten's views on physics is something that I consider absolutely shocking. In effect, nosotros seem to alive inward a lodge where a scientific Niemand of Hossenfelder's caliber stands to a higher house Edward Witten in addition to has the mightiness to "correct" his statements nigh Witten's land made inward whatever media outlet on Earth.
Clearly, the main operate of David's tweet was to inform Natalie Wolchover, the journalist, nigh some "basic sentiments" that are widespread amidst actual professional person theoretical physicists – in addition to indeed, nigh actual beliefs of Edward Witten's, too. But David sent a re-create to Sabine as good who reacted angrily:
I recall I don't attention what y'all recall nigh what other people recall nigh what someone thinks nigh someone's thoughts nigh something.
— Sabine Hossenfelder (@skdh) November 30, 2017
Hossenfelder "doesn't care" what Witten's recent co-authors recall nigh the opinions of theoretical physicists nigh an interview. In the repetitively, stupidly sounding joke, she has clearly added at to the lowest degree 1 redundant storey of recursion that shouldn't live on there. ;-) But she, apparently rightfully, assumes that journalists do care what she thinks nigh what Witten should think.
Again, the irony is that Hossenfelder believes that Wolchover should attention what Hossenfelder thinks nigh theories of everything but she doesn't attention what people around Witten really believe, fifty-fifty though it was an interview alongside Witten that is at the substance of all these discussions. Thankfully, Wolchover at to the lowest degree replied that "she cared" nigh David's reports – in addition to blamed Hossenfelder's arrogant "I don't care" reaction to Hossenfelder's wacky feel of humor.
To assure everyone that this is non the cease of her jihad against physics, Sabine Hossenfelder posted another obnoxious tirade against modern physics. By studying SUSY, string theory, inflation, or the multiverse, scientists receive got stopped doing science, she claims, in addition to nosotros demand to alternative a novel news instead of scientific discipline to depict what they're doing. H5N1 fairy-tale science? Higher speculations? Fake physics? She mentions proposals past times some of her truthful soulmates who are considered sources of worthless in addition to hostile pseudointellectual junk past times everyone who has a clue.
SUSY, string theory, inflation, in addition to to a lesser marking the multiverse are examples of science par excellence. It's the critics of scientific discipline similar Hossenfelder in addition to the assorted activists who are at most imitation scientists in addition to who receive got zilch to do alongside the actual science. They're non nifty equations that may link or do link observable quantities alongside each other. They are doing politics for the stupid masses.
By the way, Hossenfelder's argumentation becomes almost indistinguishable from the deluded tirades past times the postmodern pseudo-philosophers in addition to feminist bitches who would say that scientific discipline is exactly some other cultural habit, a tool of oppression, in addition to thus on. Hossenfelder wrote, amidst many similar things:
“Science,” then, is an emergent concept that arises inward communities of people alongside a shared piece of work practices. “Communities of practice,” as the sociologists say.Wow, thus exactly similar the "sociologists" say, the readers is invited to believe that every "community" that shares piece of work practices is as justified to depict itself as a "group of scientists" who do "science". Perhaps if they say that they're looking for "useful descriptions of Nature", that is certainly enough. For this reason, scientific discipline is on par alongside the ritualistic dances of savages inward the Pacific Ocean, the "sociologists" say.
But this "sociological" see is exactly flabbergastingly stupid. Science manifestly isn't any grouping of practices of any community. After all, scientific discipline doesn't really depend on a community at all in addition to some of the most of import scientists were truthful solitaires inward their piece of work – in addition to oftentimes exterior their work, too. The scientific method is a rather item template how to brand progress spell learning the truth nigh Nature. This template had to live on discovered or invented – past times Galileo in addition to possibly a few others – in addition to these principles receive got to live on kept, otherwise it's non scientific discipline and, to a greater extent than importantly, otherwise it's really non working in addition to doesn't systematically convey us closer to a deeper understanding of the world. Hypotheses must imply something that may live on expressed sufficiently accurately, ideally in addition to typically inward the mathematical language, in addition to the network of these assumptions of the theories in addition to their logical implications are elaborated upon in addition to finally compared to the facts that are known for sure – in addition to the facts that are known to live on sure ultimately come upwardly from experiments, observations, in addition to mathematically solid proofs.
Only a really modest percent of people inward the world really does scientific discipline related to theoretical physics in addition to if it makes feel to utter nigh a community – peculiarly a community of theoretical physicists – in that location is really exactly 1 global community. It's doing scientific discipline defined past times the same full general template. The relevant theories in addition to questions receive got exceed away much to a greater extent than advanced than they were inward the past times – the theories are to a greater extent than unifying, they require a deeper, to a greater extent than difficult, in addition to to a greater extent than abstract mathematical formalism, the experimental tests of the novel things are increasingly expensive in addition to oftentimes impossible to live on made inward a foreseeable future, in addition to this forces the researchers to live on fifty-fifty to a greater extent than careful, intellectually penetrating, in addition to employing increasingly indirect strategies to probe questions. But those are quantitative changes reflecting the alter of the phenomena that are investigated past times the cutting-edge science. They are non negations of the basic important of the scientific rigor – in addition to its dependence on honesty, mental power, patience, in addition to the illegitimacy of philosophically justified dogmas.
Let me supply to the comment past times David that the actual working physicists may exclusively declare the understanding alongside my "scientific" views nigh the interview in addition to other things. It's truthful but it's a pity. David implicitly declares the see that politics in addition to scientific discipline are sharply separated. So I could live on thrilled past times lots of amazing discoveries made past times the people who are overwhelmingly politically left-wingers – in addition to they, if they're similarly honest as scientists, should live on able to proudly say that they concur alongside my (a right-winger) many of my multi-layered comments nigh physics. Surely some people alongside Che Guevara T-shirts receive got been doing so, too. ;-)
When this setup of "politics separated from science" works, it industrial plant in addition to it's great if it works. But the occupation that David in addition to others seem to overlook is that people similar Sabine Hossenfelder – in addition to basically everyone on the listing of her "soulmates" who participate inward this jihad against physics – are doing everything they tin sack to obfuscate the boundary betwixt scientific discipline in addition to politics. It wasn't your humble correspondent who would write weblog posts addressing both groups of questions, scientific in addition to political ones, because I uncovering their increasingly intense mixing desirable. Those weblog posts were a reaction to events that reflected the "dirty" mixing of scientific discipline in addition to politics. How many times did I receive got to explicate that one can't empathise whatever physics through sociology in addition to similar things?
The likes of Hossenfelder in addition to Šmoits are total of the news "science" but what they're really upwardly to is a disgusting political displace that is trying to brainwash millions of gullible morons in addition to plough them against science. And to do so, the likes of Hossenfelder uncovering it really convenient to pretend that they are or they could live on as splendid scientists – the peers of Witten – themselves. And in that location are millions of people who are ignorant plenty thus that they purchase this nonsense. Maybe these brainwashed laymen are honest – they are exactly sufficiently intellectually limited which makes them unable to figure out that all these critics are scientifically worthless relatively to Witten but also hundreds of others.
David, y'all in addition to others don't want to participate inward a create do that is political which is an understandable reflection of an idealist, morally pure scientific ethics. But that want won't brand this create do exceed away away. You may deny it but this create do is taking place, anyway (because the likes of Hossenfelder are deliberately waging it), in addition to it has far-reaching consequences for the time to come of scientific discipline inward the existent world.
You may combine this "pure focus on science" alongside some polite, "nice", politically right attitudes, spell persuading yourself that these things receive got zilch to do alongside each other. But inward reality, the political attitudes influence the time to come strength of scientific discipline inward the lodge – in addition to the mightiness of wise kids of time to come generations to do pure scientific discipline as their labor – tremendously, sure enough much to a greater extent than strongly than some extra $10,000 that a physics grad pupil volition lose according to an (excellent) planned taxation reform (I really saved over $10,000 every twelvemonth as a grad student, thus nether the novel system, my budget would live on exactly balanced – which would belike increased my want that I but had to remain inward the U.S. for a few years as a postdoc or more). When the world overwhelmingly buys the thought that Edward Witten or the IAS at Princeton don't do anything that would exceed away beyond what a surfer dude may do inward Hawaii spell surfing, the efforts to selectively defund high-brow scientific discipline volition accelerate.
Every fourth dimension you're still when someone similar Ms Hossenfelder spreads this hostile garbage, y'all are helping this displace to win in addition to destroy pure scientific discipline – as a realistically sustainable occupation that hundreds or thousands of people tin sack do – inward the coming years. Every fourth dimension y'all are allowing someone to acquire a marking for political reasons such as her sexual practice or peel color, y'all are increasing the chances that y'all receive got produced a novel weapon that volition live on used to obfuscate the separation of scientific discipline in addition to politics in addition to to ready on scientific discipline using political tools. If someone got her PhD or jobs because of (identity) politics, live on sure that she volition live on grateful to (identity) politics in addition to volition assist (identity) politics to defeat science.
One to a greater extent than comment – nigh the wrong classification of topics. H5N1 calendar week ago, I posted 2 comments nether an article Our Bargain at the 4gravitons blog. The 2d 1 – mainly explaining that some people's screaming that they receive got to brand this or that amazing progress really shortly – was exactly a wishful thinking (analogous to planners inward socialist planned economies). And the possessor of the weblog erased it because he has a "policy non to allow comments that are nigh politics".
But this justification was manifestly completely fraudulent because the whole master copy text, Our Bargain, was nigh politics. It was mainly nigh funding in addition to self-funding of scientists in addition to the menses for which a fiscal injection should in conclusion in addition to other things. These topics are really totally political inward character. My deleted comment was really much less political than his master copy text. So the explanation of the erasure was exactly land dishonest.
It's really obvious what's going on. My comment was erased as a political 1 because it wasn't sufficiently respectful towards the left-wing orthodoxy. It's fifty-fifty possible – because of his policies, I can't know for sure in addition to I tin sack (and I must) exclusively speculate – that Tetragraviton loves the planned economic scheme in addition to can't tolerate whatever criticism of it! Right-wing comments are oftentimes erased alongside the explanation that they're political spell totally analogous left-wing comments – in addition to fifty-fifty left-wing master copy articles – may live on kept in addition to sometimes fifty-fifty thanked to. The double standards must live on absolutely self-evident to whatever honest person, including a left-winger.
These double standards are non exclusively unjust. They are ultimately really harmful to science. By insisting that they're "primarily" scholars who are loyal to the left-wing orthodoxy of the Academia, the scientists assist the actual "leftists-in-chief" to succeed inward their plans in addition to 1 of them involves the obfuscation of the boundary betwixt scientific discipline in addition to politics in addition to the eradication of pure scientific discipline as nosotros receive got known it for centuries. It's bad when you, the leftists who however do splendid research, don't realize what you're really helping to do alongside scientific discipline past times your subtle in addition to non thus subtle endorsements of the radical left-wing positions. And it's fifty-fifty worse if y'all realize it but y'all proceed on doing it, anyway.
Idealized scientific discipline is split from politics in addition to the best physics groups are however unopen plenty to this ideal. But the actual item discoveries are existence made past times existent scientists inward the existent world in addition to that world is affected past times politics – in addition to past times political movements of scientific discipline haters such as Ms Hossenfelder, Mr Woit, in addition to hundreds of others who but don't want tolerate scientific discipline because they're shocked past times the fact that they're non skillful plenty to exercise it themselves. So y'all should amend empathise some of this politics in addition to the consequences of some of your actions – including affirmative activeness – that y'all incorrectly believe to he harmless.
And that's the memo.
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