Comments on: Good News and Bad News from the Large Hadron Collider

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 16:12:24 +0000

ppnl: Doesn’t your second paragraph constitute some sort of religious declaration?

We have no testable theory but we know it’s true, and we now have prophecies to interpret it once it arrives, which we know it will… Hmmmm.

By: ppnl

ppnl — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 13:12:35 +0000

These findings do not support string theory but then very few people expected any support for string theory at these energies.

No experiment within reach can rule out all versions of string theory. For that reason it may not be accurate to call string theory a theory at all. It may be better to think of string theory as a collection of ideas and techniques that will aid in analyzing new physics once it is sighted.

By: g724

g724 — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:45:46 +0000

If I understand you correctly, you’re saying:

These findings are non-supportive of string theory, but don’t quite rise to the level of falsifying it.

Is that approximately right?

In which case:

What more is needed to falsify string theory to the point where it is no longer a serious contender?

and

What kind of findings could bring back string theory to a degree where it was worthy of more attention?

I don’t have a horse in this race (layperson here), I’m just looking to stay up to date such that my beliefs about the nature of things comport with the best currently available facts and theories.

By: rob

rob — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:24:09 +0000

the particles at mass 42 eV are voltrons.

By: Birger Johansson

Birger Johansson — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:37:17 +0000

What particles do you find at 42 electron volts? The Stupidon? Vogon? If you get several Vogons together, will they try to blow up the Earth?

By: Ender

Ender — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:03:59 +0000

Yes, 1000 electron volts. Once it hits 2012 the Ancient Mayan Physicist prophecy will be fulfilled and we’re all fucked.

By: MadScientist

MadScientist — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 07:25:45 +0000

(1012 electron volts)

There’s something missing there.