Post #3479087
2026-06-29 16:58 UTC
Higher Physics students (so ~16yo) arguing over quantum gravity today. That's way, way beyond what we teach. Nice. The main thread was whether theories that we have no idea how to test count as real science. Also nice.
(My take is that it never hurts to have a self-consistent theory with no testable predictions in your back pocket, but you still need to go outside and catapult water balloons at technicians from time to time.)
Replies (1)
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@_thegeoff@mastodon.social 2026-06-29 21:09
Nice opportunity to introduce them to the concept of reading a scientific paper- "you're not expected to understand all of it, just let it wash over you and see what you pick up". It helps that this is from the physics-communication side of things. (When I've done this before it's been Wigner's "Unreasonable Effectiveness", but hey, if they have an interest...) https://arxiv.org/pdf/0911.2761