Quantum mechanics rule life; still confusing (Introduction)

by David Turell , Saturday, March 12, 2022, 16:53 (985 days ago) @ David Turell

Another review:

https://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/how-to-break-a-theory

“'What Einstein did was expose internal paradoxes of the theory itself,” says Stephon Alexander, a physics professor at Brown University. “It’s like looking at a picture of something beautiful, but then finding a new angle and the picture isn’t as beautiful or elegant as you thought.”

"Theorists must look for every possible angle, Alexander says. “As a theorist, you have the responsibility to strive for mastery and at the same time, be willing to look at things from the outside-in.”

"Today’s thought experiments sound just as bizarre as Einstein’s from 100 years ago. The internal paradoxes they reveal are just as gnarly.

***

"Theories tell stories. What are the smallest pieces of matter? What are their characteristics? What are their relationships? What is their destiny?

"But unlike the stories of Shakespeare or Kurosawa, a physics theory is told in the language of mathematics. If the math doesn’t check out, neither does the theory.

“'A lot if it is asking, ‘Is this legal?’” Keeler says. “You might write down something that seems mathematically consistent and then run into problems later. You have to ask, could any universe be constructed with this, or would it fall apart?”

"Quantum field theory, which describes physics at subatomic scales, makes many mathematicians cringe because of its “algebraic shenanigans,” says Dorota Grabowska, a fellow in the CERN Theory Group. “If I had a conversation with a mathematician about quantum field theory, they would let out a sigh of exasperation. It’s like when your mom tells you to clean your room, so you shove everything in the closet. It looks fine, but please don't open the closet.”

"Quantum field theory is rife with something mathematicians can’t stand: unresolved infinities. In a 1977 essay, Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg wrote that “[Quantum field theory’s] reputation among physicists suffered frequent fluctuations… at times dropping so low that quantum field theory came close to be[ing] abandoned altogether.”

"But quantum field theory survives because at the end of the day, it still makes predictions that check out with experiments, such as those at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. (my bold)

***

"The LHC’s enormous energy allowed physicists to finally find the legendary Higgs boson, which was theorized 50 years before its discovery and helps explain the origin of mass.

"But this discovery illuminated what might be the limits of current theory in the form of the Standard Model, which physicists use to describe subatomic particles, forces and fields.

“'If the Standard Model is valid across a large range of energies, we would expect the Higgs to have a much heavier mass than it does,” Renner says. “There’s no reason why the Higgs should be at the mass that it is, unless some new theory takes over at energies just out of our reach.'”

Comment: Just a reminder the basis of our reality makes no sense