When we will start to make theoretical physics again?

The following is comment to FB discussion about what TGD as a TOE really means and also about the sad situation prevailing in the forefront of theoretical physics now.

TGD as TOE

Of course TGD is TOE but in much more general sense that usually. TGD is also a quantum theory of consciousness and life.

TGD started as a theory of gravitation but during the first two years it became clear that TGD is also a generalization of string models allowing to understand the origin of standard model symmetries. The basic problem of GRT (lost classical conservation laws) was the starting point of TGD - colleagues still fail to realize the existence of the problem!

The problems of string models (spontaneous compactification needed to get space-time) or those of GUTS (loss of separate conservation of baryon and lepton numbers and failure to find any evidence for this prediction plus fine tuning problems) could have also been starting points of TGD. It became also clear that TGD is a fusion of quantum gravity and standard model. Dark matter and energy characterized by cosmological constant could have been also the starting points: cosmic strings providing the solution to the problem of galactic dark mattter and of cosmological constant could have also lead to TGD.

Later the basic paradox of quantum measurement theory and problems of biology (the origin of macroscopic quantum coherence) led to zero energy ontology and adelic physics as a number theoretic generalization of physics predicting the hierarchy of Planck constants as explanation of dark matter. TGD became also a quantum theory of biology, cognition, and consciousness.

What about future?

I can safely say that my work is done now, and I can only hope and wait that colleagues become mature to realize the situation. There are some good signs: even many string theorists admit that superstrings were a failure. For instance Claus Montonen, famous finnish colleague, admitted this publicly some time ago in radio program.

The gurus however feel themselves forced to keep their public belief in strings. Since they are of my age and happy professors in a good health, their life expection is around one century. Since science indeed proceeds funeral by funeral, year 2050 is very optimistic guess for the year after which the change of the tide can happen: at that time I have been buried for decades so that I will not see the day of glory.

It is clear that academic theoretical physics will experience a long stagnation period inducing also a stagnation of experimental particle physics. Theoretical physics migh continue as a kind of net activity by laymen with minimal knowledge and understanding - somewhat like aether theories do. There is no point in building an accelerator with 50 billion dollar costs if it is clear from the beginning that it will only demonstrate that there is no evidence for the predicted dark particles or susy partners.

Half century is a short time in science. I feel myself like a stranger, like a representative of a collapsed civilization, among colleagues who could not be less interested in the idea of TOE, which inspired me and my generation so deeply. They could be equally well making money in stock market. I feel like a long distance runner who enters the goal and finds that audience has long ago lost interest in the competion and gone home.

For a summary of earlier postings see Latest progress in TGD.

Articles and other material related to TGD.