Sabine Hossenfelder and how beauty leads physics astray | Stephen Wolfram and Lex Fridman

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[chuckhammond]

Sabine makes so much sense in what she says about this topic. You should have her on to get her actual thoughts on this topic.

[etzenhammer]

I don't think Wolfram's models are guided by beauty or forced symmetry, it looks like it's more about explaining complex outcomes with underlying simple iterating graphs.

[drapollo]

This interview is so good but it looks like he’s interviewing him from prison

[bostaurus]

It is amazing that neither actually took 15 mins to familirialize themselves with her argument

[philopoemen]

“Chaos is found in greatest abundance wherever order is being sought. It always defeats order, because it is better organized.”

Terry Pratchett

[robertmiller]

It’s not just early theologians but modern ones too who argue reasonably enough that the fact that the universe is comprehensible is highly suggestive.

[helloitismetomato]

Sabine is right in principle though. We all have our own biases of what theories "should" be, and that can cloud our judgment and make us want to find certain answers and dismiss others. Like today it's considered very strange that there is any matter in the universe at all, since matter and antimatter "should" have annihilated each other completely in the early universe. It's somehow not generally considered plausible that we live in a 50.1%/49.9% matter-antimatter universe and no explanation is needed for the discrepancy. That said, the search for simpler theories is still a good idea because a complicated theory just might point to there being special cases or unrelated influences being mistaken for fundamental phenomena.
Either way, it seems Wolfram's work will lead to pockets of actual testable results in the future, so it's not like he's totally "out there" with no tether to reality

[MoebiusUK]

A bit silly for Lex to call out Sabine by name when he admitted he only read the title of her book.

Even including her in the title of this video. SMH.

[dinobotpwnz]

Hrm. It's almost like physics is an experimental science or something. Being able to say "I've come up with the highest number of not-yet-ruled-out hypotheses for physics at the Planck scale" should not be considered impressive.

[jopmens]

What I would say or agree on is that it is wise to be careful with cognitive ease as the real reason for appreciating simplicity or reducibility, however a unification of what earlier seemed to be paradoxical theories can go beyond this and take it to another level. I guess level of emergency. I don't know if that is what Stephen meant with "all the things need to fit in there".

[WestfaliaStuff]

It's sad to see how Wolfram assumes the victim role by falsely proclaiming that the criticism of Frau Hossenelder would be indicative of some sort of faceless and evil research community (that can't weather the onslaught of his genius - hah)... And Lex - I'd invite her rather than talking about her.

[captainunload]

Supposedly correct theories from different areas of study need to be coherent with each other, otherwise one or more of them isn't true.

[davidrobinson]

Beauty can lead us astray - a major theme in the work of Thomas Mann.

[sobeeaton]

If something happens, then something else happens, is that simple? Or is it complicated?

[brane]

Occam's razer is nunchaku of modern science in that too many people wielding it managed to slice their balls off clean...

[onlyrick]

Does Tom Campbell not count as a professional physicist? I don't have enough math to speak to the physics, but he certainly has an interesting theory.

[Hyumanity]

Yeah Lex, don't f with Sabine lol!!! She bites back ^_^

[whoiscapybara]

why is the behaviour of particles, as it is in our universe, described as "order". Its the total opposite.. an orderly universe would consist of one giant black hole. a perfect sphere where every atom in the universe is perfectly aligned.... come to think of it... can an ultra massive black hole consisting of all the matter in the universe stop the expansion of the universe??

[idahogreen]

Her MegaHit Poker app screenname is Sabby....shes fun to play

[citizenschallengeYT]

This seems to be sidetracking. Isn't Hossenfelder talking about "Beauty" dictating theoretical physics - and that the approach has failed for 40 years? After 4:30, he goes irrelevant - Having spent today listening to Hoffenfelder, I'm disappointed in the defensiveness and non sequiturs. Getting to the end I realize this is all about Stephen still fighting his own battles. I get the impress he doesn't have the least interest in Hossenfelder's ideas. Why was he chosen. Not a good first impression Lex. :-(