18 October 2017

When string theory is too hard, work on 1920s quantum mechanics

Important physicists, like Weinberg, 't Hooft and Motl (can you spot the odd one out?) have turned to publish papers on quantum mechanics. Not quantum field theory, not unification. No, the simple quantum mechanics that you learn in high school. When a physicist does so, he has decided to stop being productive in physics research.

Yes, I said "he". So far, I never met a woman that went through this fall from grace. But maybe I will, one day.

A few second-rate physicists have joined in the activity, like Arkani-Hamed. As explained in another post, he had left research since many years. No he cam back to the hobby of all those failed god-seekers.

Somewhere I read that the theory of everything is overrated. I tend to agree. It will not help me to raise my kids, I heard. And writing papers on quantum mechanics is not worth neglecting my kids.

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