Is string theory a failing model? | Eric Weinstein and Brian Greene go head to head again
487,485
Published 2023-06-17
Weinstein is notorious for his stance against the string theory community's toxic culture, previously telling co-founder Michio Kaku he is "out of control". In this tiff with string theorist Brian Greene, Weinstein once again confronts both the culture around string theory and the validity of the model itself.
Watch the full debate at iai.tv/video/the-trouble-with-string-theory?utm_so…
String theory has been dominant in theoretical physics for thirty years, with more scientific papers arising from it than any other theory. But critics argue the theory has held undue influence and it is an error to pursue it.
Is it time to move on from string theory, recognise that the search for supersymmetry has failed, and seek alternative accounts of the universe that are supported by observation and experiment? Or is the continued dominance of string theory justified by its potential to unify our understanding of the universe once and for all?
#StringTheory #TheoryOfEverythingInTheUniverse #StringParticles
Eric Weinstein is a mathematical physicist and the host of the podcast The Portal. He is the former Managing Director of Thiel Capital in San Francisco and was formerly a Co-Founder and Principal of the Natron Group in Manhattan as well as a Visiting Research Fellow at Oxford University in the Mathematical Institute.
Brian Greene is renowned for his groundbreaking discoveries in superstring theory and best-selling books. He has been chairman of the World Science Festival since co-founding it in 2008.
The Institute of Art and Ideas features videos and articles from cutting edge thinkers discussing the ideas that are shaping the world, from metaphysics to string theory, technology to democracy, aesthetics to genetics. Subscribe today! iai.tv/subscribe?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=des…
For debates and talks: iai.tv/
For articles: iai.tv/articles
For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/courses
All Comments (21)
-
Do you think the string theory community is problematic? Let us know in the comments below! To watch the full debate, visit iai.tv/video/the-trouble-with-string-theory?utm_so…
-
Lol Roger Penrose sitting there like "Why tf did i agree to this? I could be sitting at home right now enjoying a nice cup of tea."
-
I wish I was smart enough to have an opinion on this
-
The problem is that they use the phrase "The problem is.." so much that nobody knows anymore what the problem is.
-
After 50 years it's maybe time to take another approach.
-
anyone else here just thinking, I want to hug Roger Penrose. He reminds me of my grandfather at every family get together. Has lived through life, been through this so many times, he's just enjoying being around the next generation that is starting to do the same. This video gets a like - thanks so much for keeping the conversation going!
-
I know there's one thing that we can all agree on: Michio Kaku... is out of control.
-
The issue here is string theory has never really been a theory supported by evidence. It is a hypothesis with internally consistent math. The math may be elegant, but if it doesn't make predictions that can be tested, then it isn't a scientific theory.
-
I actually experienced this situation while graduating in mathematical physics in Belgium. It was the year 1986 and I wanted to continue the studies towards a PhD. In the dept. there where many groups, but the strongest was string theorists. Proud of their 100s pages calculus which not many understood. I was discouraged to continue physics as it seemed to me so far away from it and I was not so keen in pure math after all. On top of that, no jobs in view...
-
I love how the smartest guy in the room is just sitting there listening lol
-
What Sabine Hossenfelder has said particularly stands out: that the test of a theory is whether one gets more out of it than one puts into it. General relativity easily passes this test, as does the basic quantum mechanics established in the early 20th Century. Other theories, such as QED, are less clear cut. String theory seems a distance away from achieving this milestone.
-
So, you have to work in string Theory, or you don’t work. It’s the Emperor’s New Clothes. I applaud Eric for his bravery in stating the obvious to people that have a vested interest in silencing it.
-
"Today's scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality."-- Nikola Tesla
-
The comments about Kaku were pure gold!
-
Thanks for hosting this discussion. Just a note that following the link to the full video (on the website) from within the YouTube app, features an extremely buggy media player. This creates a negative user experience.
-
Regardless of it's untestability, as long as people can pay their mortgages promoting String Theory, it will be something we have to hear about.
-
oh it was just a 10 minute sample? I am disappointed
-
This is a particular example of a general, society wide problem. There are many disciplines where an elite has walled themselves off, creating only self-referential assertions.
-
I remember a physics postgrad about 20 years ago complaining that if the research proposal didn't include the words "string theory" then funding would not be forthcoming. The theory has consumed vast quantities of clever people's time, and delivered nothing remotely useful. And worse, has displaced other work to such an extent that Physics generally seems to have delivered nothing of much value in the last 30 years.
-
I found the moment at 09:30 funny, where he clearly says something quite interesting and Sir Roger Penrose sort of wakes up and you can see him thoroughly considering this idea.
