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Shop: Myyco.com Golden Teacher Liquid Culture For Sale   Unfolding Nature Unfolding Nature: Being in the Implicate Order

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Is string theory scientific?
    #9527733 -

Doesn't seem like it to me.  It's not falsifiable.  It posits numerous dimensions without any evidence in order to make the model work.  Sure, it's mathematically consistent and fits current observations(in an ad hoc sort of way).  But it kind of reminds of Ptolemy's model of the universe.


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Re: Is string theory scientific? [Re: Silversoul]
    #9527853 -

Ptolemy's model was scientific though, it was falsifiable.

I agree however that string theory is not scientific, its mathematical and philosophical.  Thats why Witten won the fields medal and not the nobel prize.

(btw, just realized I havent seen you post in forever :tongue: )

Edited by Qubit (01/01/09 02:47 PM)

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Re: Is string theory scientific? [Re: Silversoul]
    #9527898 -

By definition all forms of philosophy can be interpreted as science as long as the methods used to deduce your theories follow accepted logical models. IMO string theory is in the same category as Null Physics http://www.nullphysics.com/ although totally different. However I must disagree with silversoul on a matter definition. Nothing major just a small tweak of wording, all theories in science have the ability to be falsified as silversoul stated but with all accepted theories there must be extensive failure to disprove postulations. Simply put if you want something to be viewed as a science your job is to prove your own ideas wrong, after exhausting all possible avenues of error then you can assert your findings "or lack thereof" as scientific research. Cogito erg Sum. . . the only thing that we can prove is that we exist, it is the failure to disprove which will add to the credibility of a theory which can only then progress to scientific Law. SHORT ANSWER-> Becausethere is no expirement that could test the possibility of the string theory being false (the theory itself creates this inability in the case of string theory) it is not science at this point in time. Hope this helps :smile:

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Re: Is string theory scientific? [Re: epimetheus]
    #9527909 -

BTW, im new here guys and any feedback on my feedback would be appreciated. I dont mind criticism but be polite please.

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Re: Is string theory scientific? [Re: epimetheus]
    #9528056 -

Welcome.


Uhm, you're doing fine? :lol:

:thumbup:


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~Happy sailing~

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Re: Is string theory scientific? [Re: Silversoul]
    #9537491 -

String theory is more a collections of hints of what a real unified theory of the universe may look like.  It chock full of great mathematics, but as we all know the universe is more than just mathematics.

For some good (scientific NOT philosophical) modern approaches to a unified theory (or theories) check out "The Lightness of Being: Mass, Ether, and the Unification of Forces" by Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek.  Its a very fascinating read!


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Re: Is string theory scientific? [Re: Silversoul]
    #9539008 -

Silversoul said:
Doesn't seem like it to me.  It's not falsifiable.  It posits numerous dimensions without any evidence in order to make the model work.  Sure, it's mathematically consistent and fits current observations(in an ad hoc sort of way). 


I'm not too well versed on string theory, but I get the sense that some of it is only falsifiable in the sense that it is already consistent with known observation (so it's just as falsifiable as theories that already exist) and anything that goes beyond known science within string theory can't yet be tested.  It's scientific to an extent and with more advanced technology, we may be able to test its predictions, but currently it offers no advantage to existing theories.

Again, I don't know enough about it, so my impressions of it could be wrongz.

Quote:
epimetheus said:
By definition all forms of philosophy can be interpreted as science as long as the methods used to deduce your theories follow accepted logical models.


I disagree with that definition.  That seems like saying science is equivalent to logic.


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Absent.

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Re: Is string theory scientific? [Re: epimetheus]
    #9540996 -

epimetheus said:
By definition all forms of philosophy can be interpreted as science as long as the methods used to deduce your theories follow accepted logical models. IMO string theory is in the same category as Null Physics http://www.nullphysics.com/ although totally different....


Null Physics is actually just one of the many crackpot physics theories on the web and in no way in the same category with string theory. String theory for example contains valid and consistant mathematics.

See this review of “Our Undiscovered Universe, Introducing Null Physics, The Science of Uniform and Unconditional Reality” by Terence Witt from a professional physicist (Benjamin Monreal):
http://web.mit.edu/~bmonreal/www/Null_Physics_Review.html

Also see my review at http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~fiski/ouu_review.html

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Re: Is string theory scientific? [Re: Real Physics]
    #9553439 -

someone once said, 'being a theoretical physicist is like being a composer of music in a reality with no sound.'


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∞
I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity.
- Simone de Beauvoir -

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Re: Is string theory scientific? [Re: snoot]
    #9554194 -

That may be what string theorists do but theorists of real science, physics or otherwise, develop theoretical models based off of observed data.  Who said that anyway?

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Re: Is string theory scientific? [Re: Silversoul]
    #9557092 -

I think a man named A.N. Whitehead said it best:

Quote:
There is no more common error than to assume that, because
prolonged and accurate mathematical calculations have been
made, the application of the result to some fact of nature
is absolutely certain.



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Re: Is string theory scientific? [Re: DieCommie]
    #9557137 -

DieCommie said:
That may be what string theorists do but theorists of real science, physics or otherwise, develop theoretical models based off of observed data.  Who said that anyway?


I forgot I believe its the guy who owns, LiveScience.com


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∞
I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity.
- Simone de Beauvoir -

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Re: Is string theory scientific? [Re: cortex]
    #9558034 -

cortezthekiller said:
I think a man named A.N. Whitehead said it best:

Quote:
There is no more common error than to assume that, because
prolonged and accurate mathematical calculations have been
made, the application of the result to some fact of nature
is absolutely certain.




Truly a wise man, and one of my favorite philosophers. :sun:


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Re: Is string theory scientific? [Re: Silversoul]
    #9558118 -

I'm not big on philosophy, but this guy is great for quotes! :lol:

Quote:
Alfred North Whitehead said: Everything of importance has been said before, by someone
who did not discover it.




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