Not Even Wrong

[Space_Chief]

Peter Woit's Blog.
Woit is a theoretical physicist and a critic of the string theory.

▶ Why do you describe the Multiverse as “pseudo-science”?
Circularity problem: Since you can’t observe anything about it directly, the multiverse must be justified in terms of another theory that can be tested and this is string theory. But if you talk to string theorists these days about how they’re going to test the unified theory that string theory is supposed to provide, their answer is that, alas, there is no way to do this, because of the multiverse. You see, the multiverse implies that all the things you would think that string theory might be able to predict turn out to be unpredictable local environmental accidents. So, the multiverse can’t be tested, but we should believe in it since it’s an implication of string theory, but string theory can’t be tested because of the multiverse.

His blog:
http://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/

 

[Techne]

String theory and the multiverse just are not empirically verifiable theories atm, i.e., not empirical science. They are pure mathematical representations that needs testing.

Some string theorist of course would argue that string theory is testable if they build a particle accelerator the size of our solar system, so I guess they are waiting for the FED to print some more money to fund it .

 

[cerebus]

String theory is testable by a number of means. Unfortunately none of them are within our reach. The multiverse theory is a corollary of string theory but it's not identical to it; and even if you could prove string theory, it wouldn't verify the multiverse.

 

[Swa]

The problem with science is that it's moving in directions that are metaphysical and so can't be testable empirically.

 

[zippy]

The problem with science is that it's moving in directions that are metaphysical and so can't be testable empirically.

Astronomers are constantly testing these hypotheses. New and more sensitive detectors are bring deployed and developed. These sensors are taking measurements.

Google NASA voyager. This spacecraft has recently brought tremendous clarity to the nature of the edge of our solar system and its interaction with space beyond.

There is a lot happening in other areas. Look at the development of graphene.. A theory in 1962. Reality in 2010.

 

[zippy]

String theory is testable by a number of means. Unfortunately none of them are within our reach. The multiverse theory is a corollary of string theory but it's not identical to it; and even if you could prove string theory, it wouldn't verify the multiverse.

Whose reach are you referring to? It's either testable or it isn't. And if it isn't, then it may or may not be testable in the future. But, now, it's either testable or not. And there are many ways if testing something, other than by tasting it