Monday, June 8, 2020

Hossenfelder’s Arguments on the Golden Age of Physics


University Student Matthew (Matt) Kafker's interests include the study of math and physics. While attending the University of Oregon, Matt Kafker had the opportunity to read Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray, a book by Dr. Sabine Hossenfelder.

A theoretical physicist, Dr. Hossenfelder has a background that includes research in quantum gravity. Currently, she is a research fellow with the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies.

Lost in Math discusses the contention that today’s fundamental physics has become stagnant. Mired in aesthetics, fundamental physics has made very few discoveries in the past decade.

The author goes back to the beginnings of modern high-energy physics to illustrate how the discipline has changed. In the 1950s and ‘60s, researchers, scientists, and other scholars made significant discoveries. They were willing to wade through voluminous data to unearth the quark model, electroweak unification, the Standard Model, and quantum chromodynamics, among other discoveries.

Some reviewers note that part of the popularity of Dr. Hossenfelder’s book is due to its accessibility to most readers. One reviewer said that Dr. Hossenfelder does not use one equation in the text but relies on conversational, engaging language, and self-deprecating humor to explain her arguments to readers.

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