Can Physics Be Too Speculative?

Environmental & Science Education, STEM, Cosmology, Astronomy, Nature of Science, History of Science

Ed Hessler

Theoretical physicist Sabine Hossenfelder reports that she "was asked to write an article addressing the question whether some research in physics has become too speculative. I did as I was asked, and all seemed fine, until someone on the editorial board of the magazine decided that physicists would be too upset about what I wrote."

I was quite surprised that it was rejected by editors of the American Physical Society (APS), no less.  

So she decided to put it up on her blog and includes some of the standard speculative topics: whether research programs have become progressive or degenerative, dark matter, fifth forces, string theory, multiverses and, of course, alien technology.  

This is her closing comment. "Yes, Imagination and creativity are the heart of science. They are also the heart of science fiction. And we shouldn’t conflate science with fiction."

Of course there are responses, fifty when I wrote this so see how others reacted or were upset.  And as usual the talk is accompanied by a transcript, making this very friendly to viewers.

I lifted her title since it is perfect.