komponisto comments on Link: Strong Inference - Less Wrong

9 Post author: Daniel_Burfoot 23 May 2010 02:49AM

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Comment author: komponisto 24 May 2010 03:57:54PM 2 points [-]

How about String Theory in physics

Not demonstrable yet. If a correct theory of quantum gravity is found that turns out not to involve such sophisticated mathematics, then you'll have a case for this. Right now all you have is the opinion of a few contrarians.

Comment author: Blueberry 24 May 2010 04:22:27PM 1 point [-]

It should be string theorists' job to defend string theory by actually producing something. A proposed theory is not innocent until proven guilty.

Comment author: orthonormal 24 May 2010 07:04:50PM 3 points [-]

The point is, that's not a case where we've actually found the way ahead, and shown that the mathematical speculation was a dead end. It's therefore relatively weak evidence.

And given the number of times that further formalizing a field has paid off in the physical sciences, this doesn't at all convince me that "overmathematizing" is a general problem.

Comment author: Daniel_Burfoot 25 May 2010 02:11:40PM 0 points [-]

And given the number of times that further formalizing a field has paid off in the physical sciences, this doesn't at all convince me that "overmathematizing" is a general problem.

In the case of quantum mechanics, the additional formalizing did certainly pay off. But the formalizing was done after the messy first version of the theory made several amazingly accurate predictions.