Category Archives: Multiverse Mania

Fake Physics

Posted on January 20, 2017 by woit

2016 so far wins my lifetime award for most depressing and disturbing year ever (on the front of the larger world one reads about in the newspaper and elsewhere, personally things are fine, thanks). Perhaps the most disturbing thing has … Continue reading →

Posted in Multiverse Mania | 51 Comments

New Year’s Multiverse

Posted on January 7, 2017 by woit

I see little to be hopeful about the new year, but had a glimmer of a hope that we’ll see a reduction in Multiverse Mania. Surely people will sooner or later get tired of stale pseudo-science. Just got back to … Continue reading →

Posted in Multiverse Mania | 73 Comments

Various Links

Posted on December 15, 2016 by woit

A grab-bag of unrelated topics and links: Continuing the subject of budget cuts from the last posting, I heard today that the NSA is not funding this year the grant program that the AMS has been running for it, called … Continue reading →

Posted in Langlands, Multiverse Mania, Uncategorized | 29 Comments

Entanglement, the Multiverse and the Universe

Posted on November 10, 2016 by woit

“Entanglement” is the current buzzword of physics, here are two new stories featuring this: Back in 2013 one could read lots of claims in the media that “Hard evidence for the multiverse” had been found, based on “effects of quantum … Continue reading →

Posted in Multiverse Mania | 22 Comments

This Week’s Hype

Posted on June 4, 2016 by woit

One possible reaction to the phenomenon of hype in fundamental physics is to not worry much, figuring that it should be a self-limiting process. While there’s a huge appetite in the media and elsewhere for the “exciting new idea”, overhyped … Continue reading →

Posted in Multiverse Mania, This Week's Hype | 9 Comments

For Your Reading Pleasure

Posted on April 21, 2016 by woit

Since I just spent some of the morning not doing what I should have been doing, but reading about other things, in case you also want to do this, here are some options: I’m very excited to see an article … Continue reading →

Posted in Multiverse Mania | 8 Comments

Local Debates

Posted on April 4, 2016 by woit

I noticed that tomorrow (Tuesday, April 5) evening here in New York City there will be not one, but two debates involving theoretical physicists: At 7 pm the American Museum of Natural History will host the 2016 Asimov Debate, with … Continue reading →

Posted in Multiverse Mania | 66 Comments

Is String Theory Scientific?

Posted on April 1, 2016 by woit

Among the various April Fool’s things on the web, the most subtle one I’ve found is by the people at James Madison University, who are advertising an April 1 event discussing the question of Is String Theory Scientific? Part of … Continue reading →

Posted in Multiverse Mania, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Multiverse Observed, South of Glasgow

Posted on March 4, 2016 by woit

It turns out the multiverse does exist, just off the A76, 25 miles north of Dumfries in Scotland. It’s called the Crawick Multiverse and is now open 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is 5 pounds, but parking is free. … Continue reading →

Posted in Multiverse Mania | 18 Comments

Beyond Experiment: Why the scientific method may be old hat

Posted on February 27, 2016 by woit

This week’s New Scientist has an article by Jim Baggott and Daniel Cossins entitled Beyond Experiment: Why the scientific method may be old hat, which deals with the recent controversy over attempts to excuse the failure of string theory by … Continue reading →

Posted in Multiverse Mania | 69 Comments