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Lost in Math

How Beauty Leads Physics Astray

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Lost in Math

Written by: Sabine Hossenfelder
Narrated by: Laura Jennings
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A contrarian argues that modern physicists' obsession with beauty has given us wonderful math but bad science

Whether pondering black holes or predicting discoveries at CERN, physicists believe the best theories are beautiful, natural, and elegant, and this standard separates popular theories from disposable ones. This is why, Sabine Hossenfelder argues, we have not seen a major breakthrough in the foundations of physics for more than four decades. The belief in beauty has become so dogmatic that it now conflicts with scientific objectivity: observation has been unable to confirm mindboggling theories, like supersymmetry or grand unification, invented by physicists based on aesthetic criteria. Worse, these "too good to not be true" theories are actually untestable and they have left the field in a cul-de-sac. To escape, physicists must rethink their methods. Only by embracing reality as it is can science discover the truth.

©2018 Sabine Hossenfelder (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Philosophy Physics Science Mathematics Cosmology Black Hole Astronomy
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Been a scientifically literate layperson like me, and still waiting on "New Physics" touted in half of all physics science communications?

Yeah, it's a problem. and it seems like some of the smartest people on Earth are running in circles, acting suspiciously like the rest of us higher primates.

Sabine gives a good account of the issues in physics, science, and human cognition, and on why it may be holding us back now that the scientific going is tough.

Good Public Wake-up Call

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As a complete outsider, it’s refreshing to hear about the form dysfunction takes in an area entirely different from my own. Like most forms of dysfunction, it does sound like it will continue getting worse unless interrupted by some sort of crisis.

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