- #1
Paulibus
- 203
- 11
There seems to be considerable interest in the recent detection of gravitational waves. For the physics community this interest is fully justified. But in the popular press it seems to me to be reaching unjustified and perhaps harmful levels. When one reads overblown hype like:
" A giant leap for theoretical physics: Scientists have for the first time detected elusive ripples in the fabric of space and time known as gravitational waves. There is no doubt that the finding is one of the most ground-breaking
physics discoveries of the past 100 years." (See http://www.techcentral.co.za/a-giant-leap-for-theoretical-physics/63158/ by Gren Ireson).
sceptical folk, like myself, begin to wonder whether such publicity is doing our discipline more harm than good. Is this what theoretical physics is all about? Or is this publicity just hype born in the desert of modern physics, long after the glory days of the first half of the 20th century, when physics astounded humanity by bringing the second World War to such an abrupt conclusion?
I think that it promotes schadenfreude; "how are the mighty fallen" from the days when the benefits of physics were more obvious than they are now. Hyperbole should be avoided.
" A giant leap for theoretical physics: Scientists have for the first time detected elusive ripples in the fabric of space and time known as gravitational waves. There is no doubt that the finding is one of the most ground-breaking
physics discoveries of the past 100 years." (See http://www.techcentral.co.za/a-giant-leap-for-theoretical-physics/63158/ by Gren Ireson).
sceptical folk, like myself, begin to wonder whether such publicity is doing our discipline more harm than good. Is this what theoretical physics is all about? Or is this publicity just hype born in the desert of modern physics, long after the glory days of the first half of the 20th century, when physics astounded humanity by bringing the second World War to such an abrupt conclusion?
I think that it promotes schadenfreude; "how are the mighty fallen" from the days when the benefits of physics were more obvious than they are now. Hyperbole should be avoided.