Episode
#028 - Sabine Hossenfelder - How Politics And Beauty Leads Physics Astray
49:40
Published: Mon Sep 03 2018
Description
Sabine Hossenfelder is a blogger and Theoretical Physicist who researches quantum gravity, she is also a Fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies. We often think of Physicists as being the smartest minds on the planet, bastions of cognitive perfection who are immune to the dogma & ideological biases of common humans. Today we learn that may not be the case. Expect to discover just how physicists' obsessions with "beautiful theories" may be holding the human race back from making it's next major leap forward, along with a fantastic background to just what how the landscape of theoretical physics looks right now. Further Reading: Sabine's Blog: http://backreaction.blogspot.com/ Follow Sabine on Twitter: https://twitter.com/skdh Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray: http://amzn.eu/d/gdpo29c Check out everything I recommend from books to products and help support the podcast at no extra cost to you by shopping through this link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact
Chapters
In her book "Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray," physicist Sabine Hossenfelder discusses the impact of physicists' obsession with beautiful theories on the overall progress of the subject.
00:00 - 04:38 (04:38)
Summary
In her book "Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray," physicist Sabine Hossenfelder discusses the impact of physicists' obsession with beautiful theories on the overall progress of the subject. This has led to a lack of major breakthroughs in the field in recent years.
Episode#028 - Sabine Hossenfelder - How Politics And Beauty Leads Physics Astray
PodcastModern Wisdom
Scientists have been searching for evidence of supersymmetry and rare interactions of hypothetical dark matter particles with normal matter for decades with little success due to the challenges in funding and collecting enough data.
04:38 - 09:36 (04:58)
Summary
Scientists have been searching for evidence of supersymmetry and rare interactions of hypothetical dark matter particles with normal matter for decades with little success due to the challenges in funding and collecting enough data.
Episode#028 - Sabine Hossenfelder - How Politics And Beauty Leads Physics Astray
PodcastModern Wisdom
The theory of supersymmetry, which solves some mathematical problems in physics, is a fundamental part of string theory.
09:36 - 17:14 (07:38)
Summary
The theory of supersymmetry, which solves some mathematical problems in physics, is a fundamental part of string theory. However, if supersymmetry is proven to be incorrect, it would mean that physicists made a wrong decision early on in their research.
Episode#028 - Sabine Hossenfelder - How Politics And Beauty Leads Physics Astray
PodcastModern Wisdom
This podcast discusses the dangers of imposing our current beauty standards on science, leading to dogmatic beliefs and theories that hinder progress and innovation in scientific fields such as physics and cosmology.
17:14 - 23:52 (06:38)
Summary
This podcast discusses the dangers of imposing our current beauty standards on science, leading to dogmatic beliefs and theories that hinder progress and innovation in scientific fields such as physics and cosmology.
Episode#028 - Sabine Hossenfelder - How Politics And Beauty Leads Physics Astray
PodcastModern Wisdom
Experts discuss why the idea of a theory of everything doesn't make sense, and how physicists try to bring unification to the different scientific frameworks that exist.
23:52 - 28:32 (04:40)
Summary
Experts discuss why the idea of a theory of everything doesn't make sense, and how physicists try to bring unification to the different scientific frameworks that exist.
Episode#028 - Sabine Hossenfelder - How Politics And Beauty Leads Physics Astray
PodcastModern Wisdom
Dark matter and dark energy are two different things that are essential to theoretical physics research, with dark matter being primarily concerned with the discovery of a particle, while dark energy is more focused on the expansion of the universe.
28:32 - 34:29 (05:57)
Summary
Dark matter and dark energy are two different things that are essential to theoretical physics research, with dark matter being primarily concerned with the discovery of a particle, while dark energy is more focused on the expansion of the universe.
Episode#028 - Sabine Hossenfelder - How Politics And Beauty Leads Physics Astray
PodcastModern Wisdom
A small group of scientific researchers may work on a certain project but may be hesitant to abandon it despite their doubts because they have already invested time and effort.
34:29 - 43:38 (09:09)
Summary
A small group of scientific researchers may work on a certain project but may be hesitant to abandon it despite their doubts because they have already invested time and effort. This can lead to a reluctance to move towards new research projects even if it's the right direction because they fear being ostracized by their peers.
Episode#028 - Sabine Hossenfelder - How Politics And Beauty Leads Physics Astray
PodcastModern Wisdom
Theoretical physicists need to step out of their comfort zones and embrace new technologies and strategies to move forward in research and expand their knowledge.
43:38 - 49:26 (05:48)
Summary
Theoretical physicists need to step out of their comfort zones and embrace new technologies and strategies to move forward in research and expand their knowledge. This can be a difficult transition to make, but it is important for their growth and development as researchers.