Lost in Math - Sabine Hossenfelder

[BWV]

Opinions on the book? Enjoying it, but I am an non-scientist sympathetic to the notion that we may have reached the practical end of theoretical physics. I wonder what happens to the field as we reach the point where no working theoretical physicist has added anything that expanded our actual knowledge of nature. Does the discipline become like English lit, with an endless succession of fads good for nothing but generating papers to obtain tenure? Is quantum foundations like that?

Anyway the premise is that the requirement for naturalness and mathematical elegance has hindered the discipline

 

[gmax137]

asthmatically elegance

I haven't read the book, but that doesn't sound right, @BWV

 

[BWV]

I haven't read the book, but that doesn't sound right, @BWV

Lol, horrible typo fixed

 

[gleem]

I have read it and liked it too. I was once an experimental physicist. However I have in the past been caught up in the search for underlying truths hidden in the complexity of the physical experiences as revealed by math. We have been tantalized by the elegance of mathematics and its ability to lead or guide us to new discoveries in our physical world. Physicists have faith in math as well they should. I do not think math lies but sometime it may babble or we may inappropriately apply it or interpret it and try hard to make sense of it. I guess math can be seductive and perhaps addictive leading us to loose sight of reality. You can have so much faith that you refuse to see the futility of the endeavor. We should encourage different approaches to solving problems but that is risky because it is not mainstream and the community does not share your vision or reward you for trying. So new people just jump into the milieu. Some math is just not appropriate for certain problems.

It's not like we haven't seen something like this before with the description of the atom using classical mechanics. Then Schrödinger/Dirac came along with new math approaches and voile problem solved.

Sabine didn't write the book in a vacuum having interview many recognized leaders in the field.

OK, I'm through rambling.

Have you seen this PF thread?
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/sabine-hossenfelder-and-beauty-in-physics.951354/

 

[DennisN]

I do not think math lies but sometime it may babble

Funny and well said.