time’s up ?

 

2024sep16.      keep Functional Organization Theory W alive.     Forty years ago this month, the physics community was electrified by a remarkable paper that hinted at the realization of Albert Einstein’s long-held dream: a unified theory of physical reality. The new approach, called string theory, captured the attention of researchers worldwide, as its elegant mathematics offered the potential to reconcile the two most successful yet conflicting frameworks in physics: Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which governs the vast structures of the cosmos where gravity rules, and quantum mechanics, which governs particles populating the subatomic world.    Four decades and tens of thousands of research papers later, where do we stand? The answer lies not only in assessing scientific progress but also in understanding the profound influence of human nature, even in the ostensibly objective realm of science.    Scientists assess the validity of proposed theories by testing their predictions. The challenge for string theory is that it has yet to produce any definitive, testable predictions. This isn’t surprising. String theory diverges from conventional theories only under extreme conditions: where distances are unimaginably small and masses are extraordinarily large, such as in the core of a black hole or in the instant of the big bang. Unfortunately, exploring these realms is beyond our capabilities.    Critics argue that the situation is untenable, noting, “If you can’t test a theory, it’s not scientific.” Adherents counter, “String theory is a work in progress; it’s simply too early to pass judgment.” The critics retort, “Forty years is too early?” To which the adherents respond, “We’re developing what could be the most profound physical theory of all time — you can’t seriously cross your arms, tap your foot and suggest that time’s up.” Forty years ago this month, the physics community was electrified by a remarkable paper that hinted at the realization of Albert Einstein’s long-held dream: a unified theory of physical reality. The new approach, called string theory, captured the attention of researchers worldwide, as its elegant mathematics offered the potential to reconcile the two most successful yet conflicting frameworks in physics: Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which governs the vast structures of the cosmos where gravity rules, and quantum mechanics, which governs particles populating the subatomic world.    Four decades and tens of thousands of research papers later, where do we stand? The answer lies not only in assessing scientific progress but also in understanding the profound influence of human nature, even in the ostensibly objective realm of science.    Scientists assess the validity of proposed theories by testing their predictions. The challenge for string theory is that it has yet to produce any definitive, testable predictions. This isn’t surprising. String theory diverges from conventional theories only under extreme conditions: where distances are unimaginably small and masses are extraordinarily large, such as in the core of a black hole or in the instant of the big bang. Unfortunately, exploring these realms is beyond our capabilities.    Critics argue that the situation is untenable, noting, “If you can’t test a theory, it’s not scientific.” Adherents counter, “String theory is a work in progress; it’s simply too early to pass judgment.” The critics retort, “Forty years is too early?” To which the adherents respond, “We’re developing what could be the most profound physical theory of all time — you can’t seriously cross your arms, tap your foot and suggest that time’s up.”  https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/09/16/string-theory-einstein-universal-physics/

Blogger quote indent not used to test publish acceptability, along with updating less frequently.  When I published Contents updates on 2024sep14 I would have verified newly published links —they all worked, and no referenced pages were flagged.  But the Contents updates info of the 14th was deleted, which is one of Blogger’s Rules options.  However, no notification icon flagged the deletion nor was an email or message received.  Harv still studies what Blogger really is — he may have pushed it to some break limit — he eases back into rebuilding the Contents with the page that were not deleted.  He also keeps screenshots of updates Contents.  Also, backed both blog contents unto iPad for first time.