Comments on: The problem with point particles http://langabi.name/blog/2005/04/01/67 Paul Cook's blog Fri, 18 May 2012 18:10:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: paulcook http://langabi.name/blog/2005/04/01/67#comment-5871 paulcook Tue, 14 Nov 2006 01:03:39 +0000 http://langabi.name/blog/2005/03/31/67#comment-5871 The number of tests that string theory passes is huge. It is a VERY tightly constrained approach. That said, it's a long way from complete understanding; but progress continues -- see the tens of new papers every day on the arXiv. Two points are particularly compelling to me: firstly, it is by far the best candidate for beyond the Standard Model physics, so whatever drawbacks people see need just to be accepted. You're welcome to opine that you see it as stagnant, but care to suggest a viable alternative? And secondly, despite the best efforts of a few well-publicised books recently, no-one can actually come up with a argument as to why string theory will not provide a description of the universe. Sure string theory is hard and big, but the real question is: is it the theory our universe runs on? And there is at present no reason to believe it isn't. The number of tests that string theory passes is huge. It is a VERY tightly constrained approach. That said, it’s a long way from complete understanding; but progress continues — see the tens of new papers every day on the arXiv. Two points are particularly compelling to me: firstly, it is by far the best candidate for beyond the Standard Model physics, so whatever drawbacks people see need just to be accepted. You’re welcome to opine that you see it as stagnant, but care to suggest a viable alternative? And secondly, despite the best efforts of a few well-publicised books recently, no-one can actually come up with a argument as to why string theory will not provide a description of the universe. Sure string theory is hard and big, but the real question is: is it the theory our universe runs on? And there is at present no reason to believe it isn’t.

]]> By: zach http://langabi.name/blog/2005/04/01/67#comment-5870 zach Mon, 13 Nov 2006 22:26:30 +0000 http://langabi.name/blog/2005/03/31/67#comment-5870 Hmmm.....Srting Theory, eh? It doesn't look to promising to me. I rather think it's a little stagnant, don't you? The farther you do into certain areas of string theoy, the less "sciency" it becomes. A string theorist might think, heh, if I change this variable, add a couple over there and make some more equations, this will fit into other theories and so forth. Either scientists really need to clean up string theory, or they need to abandon it altogether. Hmmm…..Srting Theory, eh? It doesn’t look to promising to me. I rather think it’s a little stagnant, don’t you? The farther you do into certain areas of string theoy, the less “sciency” it becomes. A string theorist might think, heh, if I change this variable, add a couple over there and make some more equations, this will fit into other theories and so forth. Either scientists really need to clean up string theory, or they need to abandon it altogether.

]]> By: paulcook http://langabi.name/blog/2005/04/01/67#comment-172 paulcook Fri, 01 Apr 2005 22:40:10 +0000 http://langabi.name/blog/2005/03/31/67#comment-172 So I guess what I mean is that deep inelastic scattering and other high-energy experiments have been unable to find any size for these particles. So they are, to our experiments, indistinguishable from point particles. But I'd be interested to hear your opinion on the accuracy of my sweeping statements! So I guess what I mean is that deep inelastic scattering and other high-energy experiments have been unable to find any size for these particles. So they are, to our experiments, indistinguishable from point particles.

But I’d be interested to hear your opinion on the accuracy of my sweeping statements!

]]> By: MDA http://langabi.name/blog/2005/04/01/67#comment-169 MDA Fri, 01 Apr 2005 22:09:51 +0000 http://langabi.name/blog/2005/03/31/67#comment-169 What does "very very close to point-size" mean? Even with a well defined length scale (a concept not yet introduced by the second paragraph), how do you deine "close to zero"? Also, I believe you misspelled "renormalization" and a few others ;) What does “very very close to point-size” mean? Even with a well defined length scale (a concept not yet introduced by the second paragraph), how do you deine “close to zero”?

Also, I believe you misspelled “renormalization” and a few others ;)

]]> By: Laurel http://langabi.name/blog/2005/04/01/67#comment-165 Laurel Fri, 01 Apr 2005 15:56:46 +0000 http://langabi.name/blog/2005/03/31/67#comment-165 Oh Paul, what a clever April Fool`s trick to play on us, telling us the universe isn`t perfectly understandable and non-bizarre. I mean, the universe? Act weird? Why, you almost had me going for a second there... ;) Oh Paul, what a clever April Fool`s trick to play on us, telling us the universe isn`t perfectly understandable and non-bizarre. I mean, the universe? Act weird?
Why, you almost had me going for a second there… ;)

]]> By: Adam http://langabi.name/blog/2005/04/01/67#comment-164 Adam Fri, 01 Apr 2005 10:58:04 +0000 http://langabi.name/blog/2005/03/31/67#comment-164 I'm too tired to make comments about the main article, but your "exercise for the reader" brings to mind one of my (extremely numerous) favorite Douglas Adams/Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy quotes: "There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable... There is another theory which states that this has already happened." I’m too tired to make comments about the main article, but your “exercise for the reader” brings to mind one of my (extremely numerous) favorite Douglas Adams/Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy quotes:

“There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable… There is another theory which states that this has already happened.”

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