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January 13, 2012

Scientific Gibberish Watch

The Maverick Philosopher is on the job pointing out well-educated idiots with Why Do Some Physicists Talk Nonsense about Nothing?
Sample gibber: "The old idea that nothing might involve empty space, devoid of mass or energy, or anything material, for example, has now been replaced by a boiling bubbling brew of virtual particles, popping in and out of existence in a time so short that we cannot detect them directly." -- Physicist and Drool-Cup Wearer Lawrence M. Krauss

Posted by gerardvanderleun at January 13, 2012 10:32 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.

Your Say

In other words, since you can't detect them, you have to accept their existence as a matter of faith.

Page 2...

God says "Welcome back. I've kept your room the way it was when you left."

Posted by: Mikey NTH at January 13, 2012 10:35 AM

Well, that's certainly a drool cup worthy comment on Krauss' remarks. Krauss ain't Shakespeare, but the consequences of what he describes are clearly observed. Philosophers don't know shit about anything, it's nothing to be proud of.

Posted by: chuck at January 13, 2012 12:16 PM

No, and no.

What Krauss talking about is a Good Working Theory in particle physics. It seems to be what's happening, and but it's a theory, not a statement of Absolute Fact. And Maverick/Harris' rebuttal is all over the landscape.

So, no, let's take "virtual particles" for what it is - a good working theory that can be used to explain observed phenomena.

And, yeah, physics is weird - but that's why it's fun!

Posted by: leelu at January 13, 2012 12:58 PM

Science has left behind what they can actually demonstrate and experiment with and are back in the sort of territory science was in the 16th century; mostly guesswork, dreams, and alchemy. Dark matter is the perfect example. Dark Matter is postulated to exist not because of any experimental evidence, but because it has to exist for certain theories to work.

Entire systems of theories and nested concepts are built upon each other, each having no testable reality, until the results get sillier and sillier. We're at a barrier of what we can understand and work with right now, until some major new breakthrough takes place (my guess is gravity). Until then, its just hand waving and academic speculation without much merit or significance to the world. But it keeps scientists busy, I suppose.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at January 15, 2012 2:35 PM

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