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aurareturnyesterday at 7:26 PM7 repliesview on HN

When people make these comments about string theory, are they at the forefront of quantum physics theory and have spent years on modern string theory? Or did they just watch a YouTube video and then keep parroting this?


Replies

the__alchemistyesterday at 7:39 PM

You could reductio ad-absurdum this logic quite broadly. We all form beliefs about the world and its aspects, and almost always through fallible sources. Should one be confident about ones of questionable provenance? I say no. But forming beliefs from the information we have is a useful skill.

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enquirewithintoday at 6:42 AM

I watch three YouTube videos.

The Lambda-CDM model seems to be a dead end, but instead of recognising that, picking themselves up, and moving on, the Lambda-CDM Model Industrial Complex simply papered over the gaping holes with magical thinking.

Sciencism.

nullbioyesterday at 7:36 PM

This isn't a great argument. Researchers who do not think string theory is good are not going to spend years on it. There are plenty of experts that dismiss string theory. I have no skin in the game, and don't care either way, fwiw.

DiscourseFantoday at 2:11 AM

I agree but I think it’s a little hopeful to believe AI will save string theory

OroPlayesterday at 8:27 PM

I also just keep parroting that the Earth is not flat and a bunch of other things I've been told and then never questioned, since it seems to make sense.

When the flath-earth craze started I've been trying to at least get that bit actually personally verified. Haven't managed to do it to this day, though. So I'll just keep parroting various things without properly understanding them.

C'est la vie.

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lokaryesterday at 8:11 PM

Or the just read Woit, uh, 20 years ago now, “not even wrong”.

tcp_handshakeryesterday at 8:15 PM

Sabine has been at the forefront and has the goods: https://youtu.be/1mgxuVVUz40

And for the inevitable critics of Sabine...maybe Leonard Susskind is good enough for you: https://youtu.be/2p_Hlm6aCok

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