String Theory, the Crisis in Particle Physics and the Ascent of Metaphoric Arguments

Schroer, Bert

doi:10.1142/s0218271808014217

Cited by 8 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 58 publications

(176 reference statements)

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“…The second accumulation is that of theoretical works that are impossible (at least in the present time) to investigate experimentally. For example, most of the theoretical predictions of PTP in the second half of the 20th century, such as string theory (Schroer, 2008;Smolin, 2006;Woit, 2007), black hole theories, and black matter theories, at different levels (microphysics and cosmological physics) faced and are still facing large obstructions to experimental investigations. Theoretical works accumulate and grow rapidly relative to the level of the slow development of technology of the experimental investigations.…”

Section: New Accumulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

<p>Is the Technology a New Way of Thinking?</p>

Sanduk¹

2012

JOTS

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In his consideration of thought development, Auguste Comte proposed a three-stage model, in which the mechanism of development may lead to new types of thought. So the process that led to a philosophy of science may be repeated to create a new type of thought. The thought development is attributed to a process of accumulation of challenged but unanswered questions, followed by a decline of interest in that type of thinking. The science stage presented a huge accumulation of achievements, but at the same time it confronts huge challenges. The present work is a theoretical analysis for what is happening because of these challenges. The author believes that the technology may be regarded as a fourth stage for Comte's model. The technology stage corresponds to globalization as a social stage. Technology has its own methodological way. Owing to the connection between the technology and human need, the development of technology follows a Darwinian evolution model. The process of technology selection that leads to development is the user selection, which corresponds to Charles Darwin's natural selection.

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Section: New Accumulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

<p>Is the Technology a New Way of Thinking?</p>

Sanduk¹

2012

JOTS

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“…Greene (1999) gives a recommendable popular introduction. 5 See also Woit (2002) and Schroer (2006). evolving backward for the past 30 years.…”

Section: "Elegance Requires That the Number Of Defining Equations Be mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Internal and External Problems of String Theory: A Philosophical View

Hedrich

2007

J Gen Philos Sci

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String theory is at the moment the only advanced approach to a unification of all interactions, including gravity.But, in spite of the more than thirty years of its existence, it does not make any empirically testable predictions, and it is completely unknown which physically interpretable principles could form the basis of string theory. At the moment, "string theory" is no theory at all, but rather a labyrinthic structure of mathematical procedures and intuitions. The only motivations for string theory consist in the mutual incompatibility of the standard model of quantum field theory and of general relativity as well as in the metaphysics of the unification program of physics, aimed at a final unified theory of all interactions, including gravity. The article gives a perspective on the problems leading to and resulting from this situation. String Theory and Philosophy of ScienceSome physicists seem to take it for sure that string theory 4 is the adequate theory of quantum gravity and the ultimate theory of nature."I believe that we have found the unique mathematical structure that consistently combines quantum mechanics and general relativity. So it must almost certainly be correct." (Schwarz (1998) 2) Others see in it the ultimate hype in which the ideals of physics as an empirical science get lost. But what is string theory really? -There are certainly good reasons to claim that this question can not be answered conclusively at the moment, because string theory isn't yet a complete theory. 't know." (Susskind (2005) 124) "Elegance requires that the number of defining equations be small. Five is better than ten, and one is better than five. On this score, one might facetiously say that String Theory is the ultimate epitome of elegance. With all the years that String Theory has been studied, no one has ever found even a single defining equation! The number at present count is zero. We know neither what the fundamental equations of the theory are nor even if it has any. Well then, what is the theory, if not a collection of defining equations? We really donAlready in 1988, after the first wave of string enthusiasm which started with the development of the first consistent anomaly-free perturbative supersymmetric string theories, Robert Weingard wrote in his paper A Philosopher Looks at String Theory: " [...] there is, in a sense, no theory for the philosopher to analyse." (Weingard (1989) 138) In a certain way, the conditions for an evaluation of string theory did not change a lot since Weingard's assessment -an assessment which did not prevent him from writing his paper on the subject. Although string theory is at present the most extensively developed approach to a future theory of quantum gravity, it seems to be a rather confusing collection of physical intuitions and mathematical procedures which either will or will not lead finally to a physical theory. At the moment, string theory has no clear and unambiguous nomological basis; no physically motivated fundamental principle is known for ...

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Top-Down Approaches in Physics

Primas

2017

Knowledge and Time

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String Theory, the Crisis in Particle Physics and the Ascent of Metaphoric Arguments

Cited by 8 publications

References 58 publications

<p>Is the Technology a New Way of Thinking?</p>

<p>Is the Technology a New Way of Thinking?</p>

The Internal and External Problems of String Theory: A Philosophical View

Top-Down Approaches in Physics

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