"The Tunnel of Theoretical Physics: Are We Heading for Disaster?"

 The Crisis in Theoretical Physics: Are We Stuck in a Tunnel?

Theoretical physics has hit a deadlock. For the past fifty years, there’s been a troubling lack of progress in the field. We feel it, deeply. But how did we get here? More importantly, what can be done?

Eric Weinstein, a mathematical physicist, sheds some light on this dire situation through his thought-provoking podcasts. According to him, there are two primary culprits that have steered the train of progress off its tracks—String Theory and Quantum Gravity. These two paths, led by invisible forces, have taken theoretical physics on a journey to nowhere.

Two Dead Ends: String Theory and Quantum Gravity

In one of Weinstein’s shorter podcasts, titled “I am TERRIFIED of this Man!” (an intriguing watch at just eight minutes), he addresses these failed approaches head-on. He points out that Quantum Gravity, though championed by the most "respectable" figures in the field, simply doesn’t work.

He states in the video (00:05:04):

“This is called quantum gravity, and all the most respectable people are in it, and it doesn't work. And you can't say, 'Why are we doing this if it doesn't work?'”

The video cuts deep. There’s something unsettling about continuing down a path everyone knows is broken, but no one dares to question it.

In a second, more extensive podcast, "Are We On The Brink Of A Revolution?" (which runs over three hours), the most significant part for us is in the last twenty minutes of the first hour. 

Here, Weinstein makes an alarming claim (00:48:59):

“We used String Theory to block actual progress in theoretical physics and derailed an entire field.”

Weinstein’s words are chilling: we are witnessing the collapse of an entire branch of science. People are running for the exits, but the train has been accelerating towards an abyss for years.

A Chilling Parallel: Dürrenmatt’s “The Tunnel”

Weinstein’s depiction of this scientific collapse is hauntingly similar to Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s short story “The Tunnel.” Dürrenmatt, known for his works of surrealism, paints a terrifying picture of a train headed into an endless tunnel—a metaphor for the unstoppable momentum of a system bound for disaster.

In the story, a 24-year-old student boards a train as usual. But when the train enters a tunnel, something isn’t right. The tunnel doesn’t end. Darkness stretches on for an unnerving amount of time. The student’s unease grows, yet the other passengers remain calm, oblivious to the danger.

Seeking answers, the student approaches the conductor, who eventually reveals a horrifying truth: the train’s engineer had already jumped off. No one is steering. The train is accelerating towards an abyss, and the student can do nothing but watch as the locomotive hurtles into the void.

At one point, the conductor asks what they should do. The student answers:

"Nothing (...) God let us fall. And now we’ll come upon him.”

The train continues to plummet into the abyss. The story ends with a terrifying silence—“Nothing.”

Is There Hope for Theoretical Physics?

Weinstein’s narrative, paired with Dürrenmatt’s eerie story, creates a chilling analogy for the state of theoretical physics today. The field has been speeding into darkness for decades, with many passengers oblivious to the danger and others too frightened to pull the emergency brake.

But is there hope?

Dürrenmatt's student was on a train without a driver, destined for disaster. Yet, we still have the opportunity to change course. Weinstein’s work, along with those brave enough to question the status quo, may offer the wisdom needed to steer us back on track.

In an unstable, nonlinear world, where even the smallest action can ripple into far-reaching consequences, we cannot afford to sit idly by. The butterfly effect teaches us that what we do—or neglect to do—matters. Now is the time to break free from the tunnel. We must resist the pull of dead-end theories and open our minds to new possibilities.

A Glimmer of Hope: Emerging from the Tunnel

Interestingly, there’s a short film inspired by another "tunnel" experience that offers a sliver of hope. It suggests that those of us already deep in the tunnel may soon run out of gas—perhaps before we plunge into the abyss. 

This short movie inspired by another tunnel experience gives us the hope that those already in the tunnel may soon be running out of gas.

So, what can we do? The student in Dürrenmatt’s story had no choice but to fall. But we do. We can question. We can demand progress. And maybe, just maybe, we can stop the train before it’s too late.

P.S. 26-09-24 11:55 Strings require practice rather than a theory:

P.S. 26-09-24 13:36 Igor Bayak wrote that all will be ok physics. I am not that sure.

Alternatives that may lead something really useful are being suppressed using total control over the communication channels.  Good old physics may be allowed to exist on the periphery, where no one is paying attention, and whatever is good or useful will be ridiculed.