tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post1723389289854338817..comments2023-09-27T07:44:19.769-04:00Comments on Sabine Hossenfelder: Backreaction: Does the Higgs-boson exist?Sabine Hossenfelderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-39631766127108012182021-08-02T01:40:31.543-04:002021-08-02T01:40:31.543-04:00As I live and breathe, I just discovered that we l...As I live and breathe, I just discovered that we live in a Higgs field full of Bosons.<br />That's why it hurts when you bump into things.Mr. Jonathan Camphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06001639663507984948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-48228641870303679302021-06-09T02:38:53.295-04:002021-06-09T02:38:53.295-04:00I'd give you 3 out of 5 sigmas that you actual...I'd give you 3 out of 5 sigmas that you actually exist.<br />Either way, you're still a 10 in my book.Mr. Jonathan Camphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06001639663507984948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-90279186140178277222019-08-21T11:08:39.860-04:002019-08-21T11:08:39.860-04:00Let us say I postulate an entity, godzwill, and ad...Let us say I postulate an entity, godzwill, and add it to our current physics. My theory uses godzwill to account for any known discrepancies between predictions and observations. Godzwill predicts dark matter for example. Godzwill predicts that the wave function will collapse after a quantum measurement. <br /><br />Note I specified known discrepancies, so the effect of godzwill can be predictedKen Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08207803092348071005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-25648908421090487542019-06-08T07:14:50.881-04:002019-06-08T07:14:50.881-04:00Better ask James, in that concern.Better ask James, in that concern.weristdashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04693023273675933748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-82284708126877854872019-06-05T10:38:31.762-04:002019-06-05T10:38:31.762-04:00Ah, but as prophesized: "beside the mark.&quo...Ah, but as prophesized: "beside the mark." It's not unbounded in space (only time). Just ask the mouse.Emmette Davidsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15566381168125492666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-52533752792918267822019-06-05T06:34:38.869-04:002019-06-05T06:34:38.869-04:00If we call a (borderless) field as (limited) thing...If we call a (borderless) field as (limited) thing - eg - how can we consider about correctly?<br /><br />That's what I meant.<br /><br />Words are not noise nor smoke. You shouldn't mingle it with names. ("Namen sind Schall und Rauch", German proverb)<br />weristdashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04693023273675933748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-88855352443268668562019-05-30T14:35:49.773-04:002019-05-30T14:35:49.773-04:00Physicists are the experts in he interactions of m...Physicists are the experts in he interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. If you lot don't know what's real, nobody does. We have no other way than the natural sciences to produce high quality models about regularities we observe. <br /><br />Stuff we call electrons have certain properties. If we have a reliable way to test for these peepukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06889974151571196576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-65919045656640012782019-05-29T17:46:58.834-04:002019-05-29T17:46:58.834-04:00I forgot to mention that a realistic solution to t...I forgot to mention that a realistic solution to the vacuum energy would be necessary, indeed.MC Squaredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14487243809180488798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-21061595381404681682019-05-29T17:30:59.530-04:002019-05-29T17:30:59.530-04:00Is the Higgs boson real? It depends on your own co...Is the Higgs boson real? It depends on your own concept of the Higgs. What has been measured is a real resonance at a typical energy in proton-proton collision. This corresponds to a real symmetry. The important question here is: Are the particles observed a product of the decay of the Higgs or just produced from the collision as an interaction. In any case, the symmetry corresponding to the MC Squaredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14487243809180488798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-39050985551669542872019-05-28T08:49:38.318-04:002019-05-28T08:49:38.318-04:00God said that about Trump, too.God said that about Trump, too.Emmette Davidsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15566381168125492666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-10046181991060791282019-05-27T21:26:59.348-04:002019-05-27T21:26:59.348-04:00Sabine, Instrumentalism is a cop-out. It only beco...Sabine, Instrumentalism is a cop-out. It only becomes necessary when you abandon empiricism. Empiricism combined with logic is the only way science has ever worked to provide a rational and incrementally increasing understanding of physical reality.bud raphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06948881286545517324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-20924334522869490972019-05-27T11:53:17.037-04:002019-05-27T11:53:17.037-04:00bud rap,
You are correct in pointing out that my ...bud rap,<br /><br />You are correct in pointing out that my statement "you cannot empirically verify anything" was a sloppy response to your false statement that one can verify a "model's axioms and postulates". Alas, this does not change anything about the fact that your statement was (a) wrong and (b) you later changed it to being able to tell whether a prediction is Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-4234430857526167602019-05-27T11:42:31.135-04:002019-05-27T11:42:31.135-04:00Sabine,
You have changed the content of your stat...Sabine,<br /><br /><i>You have changed the content of your statement.</i><br /><br />I didn't change anything - I was simply refuting your sweeping generalization, <i>"You cannot "empirically verify" anything."</i> That statement is false. If you don't want easily refuted statements like that refuted - don't make them.<br /><br /><i>I have told you repeatedly that bud raphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06948881286545517324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-63215804080820772852019-05-27T05:49:22.382-04:002019-05-27T05:49:22.382-04:00PhysicistDave,
I am afraid I have to disagree. So...PhysicistDave,<br /><br />I am afraid I have to disagree. Solipsism does not follow from instrumentalism. Instrumentalism is the smallest common denominator that we all agree on (or, well, at least we would if we were rational). It says: This is what we can state with (limited) confidence. Realism and solipsism both go beyond that by making additional statements that cannot be backed up by Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-76887579195013326882019-05-27T04:46:43.919-04:002019-05-27T04:46:43.919-04:00Dr. AMC:
You've hit on the key point. Instrum...Dr. AMC:<br /><br />You've hit on the key point. Instrumentalism may or may not work with respect to the physical world, but, when it comes to other people, instrumentalism becomes a rather dangerous form of solipsism.<br /><br />So, if we accept that people are part of the natural world, then instrumentalism towards the natural world reduces to solipsism.<br /><br />I can't resist PhysicistDavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11111405959451703182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-29391689031319055432019-05-27T03:28:25.007-04:002019-05-27T03:28:25.007-04:00or it would in a different way ...or it would in a different way ...Martienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10968801033657758249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-49674121104163779012019-05-27T03:20:13.074-04:002019-05-27T03:20:13.074-04:00One definition of 'to explain' might be so...One definition of 'to explain' might be something like "make people understand".<br /><br />Than what is "to understand"? In my view it is something like relating new experiences to previous ones. Maybe with the awareness that goes with it. Understanding than is an incremental process, a gradual evolving model of parts of an assumed external reality in the brain of a Martienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10968801033657758249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-37752573279945842952019-05-27T03:10:36.807-04:002019-05-27T03:10:36.807-04:00Agree, if one is forced to take a position, than t...Agree, if one is forced to take a position, than the position that Sabine exists is by far the best bet. So "it is safe to assume..", or "it may be assume beyond reasonable doubt.." or "for all practical purposes we may assume .." etc. etc. that Sabine exists. Still that doesn't equal to a 100 % proof of her "existence" (whatever that means).Martienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10968801033657758249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-35101642039346575002019-05-27T01:00:44.336-04:002019-05-27T01:00:44.336-04:00The scientific method works because the informatio...The scientific method works because the information about the physical world happens to be extremely compressible. If that were not the case, e.g. if we were Boltzmann brains observing a random World, then science would not work for us. Count Iblishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17234653545597441999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-16928477090253544562019-05-26T12:57:54.288-04:002019-05-26T12:57:54.288-04:00Albert Zotkin: ... but the Moon stops existing whe...Albert Zotkin: <i>... but the Moon stops existing when you passed away. Who gives a shit?</i><br /><br />Me. I give a shit. That's why I have a will and pay for life insurance, to help the people I believe will continue to exist after I am dead, with the money and assets I have that I believe will also continue to exist after I am dead.<br /><br />Empirically speaking, having seen more than Dr. A.M. Castaldohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17988116835722393503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-49310741917053584232019-05-26T11:43:46.908-04:002019-05-26T11:43:46.908-04:00Hello,
people have contacted me telling suggestin...Hello,<br /><br />people have contacted me telling suggesting that I should comment here, so I do. ***<br /><br />I appreciate very much what you say about current so-called fundamental physics.<br />With respect to concepts such as quarks and the Higgs boson, I think however an even more critical view is necessary.<br /><br />The question in not merely whether a model makes predictions Alexander Unzickerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05606631915683899448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-73209387425997507662019-05-26T09:55:25.427-04:002019-05-26T09:55:25.427-04:00No, scientific truth is not created by a democrati...No, scientific truth is not created by a democratic agreement. <a href="http://backreaction.blogspot.com/2017/06/dear-dr-b-is-science-democratic.html" rel="nofollow">I explained this here.</a>Sabine Hossenfelderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06151209308084588985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-78702283498906062152019-05-26T09:15:30.124-04:002019-05-26T09:15:30.124-04:00However: what does 'existence' mean in our...However: what does 'existence' mean in our non-objective, non-real quantum world?Uli Thomsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782899692363769099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-7371796633029695182019-05-26T09:09:33.006-04:002019-05-26T09:09:33.006-04:00Do I think that I myself exist...?
Well... - I do...Do I think that I myself exist...?<br /><br />Well... - I do so!<br /><br />Do I think that SuSy, higher dimensions, branes and the notorious stringscape exist?<br /><br />Not really!Uli Thomsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782899692363769099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22973357.post-3228761076160992752019-05-26T07:56:29.404-04:002019-05-26T07:56:29.404-04:00"Scientists don't deal with beliefs. They..."Scientists don't deal with beliefs. They deal with data and hypotheses. Science is about knowledge and facts, not about beliefs." My guess is that beliefs are particular types of electromagnetic field associated with the brains of mammals and birds. I suggest that data and hypotheses NEVER exist apart from beliefs. I tried to convince Motl that Kroupa is a better scientist than he David Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10537922851243581921noreply@blogger.com