- ----------------- 2004 - The Trouble with Physics
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- Lee Smolin is the author of “ The Trouble with Physics”, 2006. It is an outstanding book and Lee is a great writer. His book’s objective is to debunk string theory and to evaluate the causes of why physics has not made any significant breakthroughs in the last 25 years, since string theory got started, and, 100 years after Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.
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- Lee defines 5 big problems in Physics that have not been solved:
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------------ (1) Combining general relativity and quantum mechanics . One develops equations that solve problems for the very large ( cosmic scales ) and the other solves problems for the very small ( atomic scales ). But, not vise versa.
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------------ (2) Making sense of the foundations of Quantum Mechanics. Measurement and observation should play no role in describing fundamental reality.
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------------ (3) Provide a unification of 12 particles and 4 forces.
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------------ (4) How are the values of the natural constants chosen in nature?
There are 20 + 15 = 35 natural constants.
------------ (5) Explain Dark Matter and Dark Energy
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- Lee’s frustration is that 25 years with the physics community enamored with string theory has made zero progress on solving these problems. Why has this happened? In answering this question Lee has answered the same question for many, many organizations, businesses, schools, governments, boards and communities. Managers, politicians, and teachers pay attention.
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- One of the failures he sees is in getting people to work on the same problem from different perspectives and to communicate with each other. For example, a string theory conference will never invite someone outside their group to speak or present an opposing view. He sees this as a problem in sociology. (sociology is the study of human societies).
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- Here is his characterization of the string theory community:
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------------------- Tremendous self-confidence and entitlement to belonging to an elite community.
------------------- An unusually monolithic community.
------------------- A sense of identification with the group
------------------- A disregard for and disinterest in ideas from those outside the group.
------------------- A tendency to interpret evidence optimistically rather than skeptically.
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- This characterization interpreted by sociologists is called “ group think”. Group Think always applies the test “ preserve group harmony”, in every decision they make. Group thinkers are masters at drawing conclusion from incomplete information. Something they share with my wife. If teachers believe they know more than the best students they teach, they cease to be teachers.
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- Until the evidence forces consensus we should encourage a wide diversity of viewpoints. There should be disagreement as much as the evidence permits. Disagreeing IS being a “team player“. Some general once said, If everyone is thinking the same then someone is not thinking.”
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- We pay a severe price for tenure in the academic community Too much job security, too much power, and to little accountability of older people. Too little job security, too little power, and too much accountability on younger people in the prime of their creative, risk-taking careers.
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- Hiring should be much more tolerant to accepting people with a different point of view, a different background, a different culture. Grants and scholarships suffer from the same syndrome as hiring. The task of forming an effective community is never finished . It will always be necessary to fight off the dominance of orthodoxy, fashion, age, and status.
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- Einstein was not hired be academics because he was not a conformist. He had to become a patent technician third class in order to get a job. In 5 years in the patent office he alone created the greatest revolution in physics in a century. Academia would not accept this great scientist as a member of their group.
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- Every good business knows there is a difference between low-risk / low payoff and high-risk / high payoff strategies. If you want to run an airline or sell soap you want the first. If you want to invent new technologies and revolutionary theories in physics you can not succeed with out the second.
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- How do you get University administrators to think in these terms? Administrators set up the criteria for hiring, promotions, and tenure for what they are and what they want to see in others. They need to widen the net and let a few revolutionaries in. They need to make the hierarchy flatter, to give young people more scope and freedom. Create some opportunities for high-risk / high payoff people.
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- If we can somehow change the sociology maybe we can solve some of the 5 problems that remain unsolved in physics. There are many organizations that could learn this lesson. My boss used to tell me, “ The trouble is we are beginning to believe our own bullshit”-
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