As with most things related to quantum physics even the
title of the book, “Not Even Wrong” by Peter Woit, is hard to understand. When dealing with things that don’t behave
intuitively, as is the case with quantum physics, and on the brink of human
understanding, clarity is critical. Nevertheless, physicists always seem to
revel in their own intellect and have little regard for those of us who don’t
share their higher order IQs. Woit seems
different notwithstanding his choice of titles for this book. The purpose of this book was to write down
in one place the case against string theory and the monolithic institution of
researchers and worshipers of the theory that grew up in the shadow, or on the
coat tails, of Ed Witten. Woit does this
by giving us a short history of theoretical and experimental particle physics
that begat quantum theory, the standard model, and with Ed Witten’s help,
string theory. This is all very clear
and tracks very well, and of course necessary to understand the criticisms he
later levies against string theory in general and the M-Theory that was to
follow, more specifically.
First a word on understandability: When I took second year physics in college --
electromagnetic theory -- and
experienced imaginary numbers, flux, phases, and triple integrals for the first
time I had to wonder if any of it was truly understood, or what was understood
was how to manipulate the observed phenomenon for useful purposes. Of course my professor spoke with a deep
Czechoslovakian accent which made the lectures even harder to understand. Day in and day out he would stand in front of
the room with his back to the class and lecture to the chalk-board filling any
available space with a flurry of equations.
One day he was absent and his wife took over the lecture for him. In some strange confluence of synchronicity,
his wife stood in front of the classroom, with her back to us, and in a deep
Czechoslovakian accent lectured to the chalk-board filling every available
space with a flurry of equations. The
class felt as if we had just experienced a breach in time-space and with
perfect symmetry as the professors’ anti-matter component slipped into our room
for the day. This is difficult
stuff. It takes a great deal of study to
understand the very simple let alone the highly complex. In some cases, as Woit points out, even the
experts get fooled due to lack of understanding or interest in taking the
necessary time, and pain, to gain more than a general sense of the topic. Decades later I understand all too well, that
I will never truly understand what is being discussed in Woit’s book or any
number of texts on the subject that I might open. Nevertheless, I gave it a try and have come
away with a few insights I feel are worth noting in my review.
First, Woit really only has a single point to make, albeit an
extremely powerful point. The fact is
that after two full decades of research into string theory, not a single
prediction coming out of the theory can be confirmed experimentally. To me, a book isn’t necessary to convey this
message. His deeper message, and his
second important point, is that a book was indeed necessary because after years
of screaming into the abyss with no one is hearing his message too many
resources have been and continue to be wasted in pursuit of a theory that
ceases to be scientific. Theory, no
matter how beautiful it might be to the eye of the beholder is no more than
mental masturbation without experimental results confirming something,
anything, not, as has been the case with string theory, nothing, zip, zero,
zilch, nada, butt-kiss. So whereas I
may not understand exactly how a 1-dimensional closed loop of energy vibrates
across 10 or 11 dimensions of space and time, six or more of those dimensions
are so small we can’t see them thus we don’t need to worry about them, I do
understand that I shouldn’t believe you even though I can’t do the math myself. Science ceases to be scientific when the
hypothesis cannot be proven. For this
insight Woit is highly effective and should be thanked for trying to make this
simple message clear. Has his message
been heard? I heard him, I can only hope
the next generation of quantum physicist hear him before investing a life-time
in pursuit of a science that is not scientific.
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