Zlatko Tesanovic on string theory
"Superstringers have now created a culture in physics departments that is openly disdainful of experiments. ... There is an intellectual struggle going on for the very soul of theoretical physics, and for the hearts and minds of young scientists entering our field."
- Dr. Zlatko Tesanovic, physicist at Johns Hopkins University
A few weeks ago the San Francisco Chronicle published a fascinating article by Keay Davidson about the battle currently being waged by two branches of physics, the string theorists (or "superstringers") versus the more traditional, experimentally minded camp. Originally formulated to compensate for discrepancies between relativity and quantum mechanics, with the ultimate goal of coming up with a grand unifying "theory of everything", string theory has instead, rather ironically, caused a bitter rift in the field of physics. You can read more in the Chronicle article, including great scientist one-liners like this one: Superstringers cover up their theory’s deficiencies like "a 50-year old woman wearing way too much lipstick."
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