andy11 (Score 1)

I think the String Theory spectrum looks more like Pure Mathematics practise than a theoretical physics endeavour. I think the problem is that (as of Lee Smolin opinion in his book The Trouble with Physics) too many distinguished professors and respected departments are so deeply (and for so long) involved in this business that a withdraw from this theory would cause too much embarrassment at this point. Too much money and time spend from research funds for over 25 years. How would you justify withdrawal by other means but by some experimental disagreement. Like Richard Feynman said, 'they keep finding excuses cocking up here and there looking for excuses', with other words to keep their careers and reputation intact. Can you imagine what it must feel like after being warned for decades that it doesn't make sense what you're doing, how would you react. I think Smolin was right when he said that this theory could damage science (in particular physics) reputation if it doesn't succeed. Lets be honest 30 years of development and still not one testable prediction? I mean can someone explain to me why they are pursuing a Theory of Everything TEO at this time while they haven't found the Grand Unified Theory GUT yet? And why seek a GUT while you haven't even finish with Quantum Gravity yet? It should have been in this chronological order right: Electric F + Magnetic F > EM EM + Weak F > EW EW + Strong > GUT GUT + Quantum Gravity > TEO What these people are doing is bypassing QG and GUT to reach at TEO in the hope to distinguish themselves, collect the Nobel Price and become immortals. To my opinion, the reason why there is no TEO yet is because currently there are no scientist bright enough e.g. like Einstein and his colleagues of his generation to take this challenge. Feynman was the last of that kind of breed. Until another bright by birth dude wont come along we will have to wait patiently and be content with general relativity and quantum mechanics as two separate frameworks but that works very fine for our needs (GPS, computers, condense matter, etc). If we want to know about what happened during the big bang and what is inside of a black hole we would have to wait for another Einstein type to be born again. Witten, Greene and all other current leading physmathist are simply not of the same league as Einstein and his generation, plain simple! These people have chosen the wrong career path, instead of theoretical physics they should have followed pure mathematics. In this way they would have made sense. But now it is too late!