Experimental particle physicists know of the problem, and try to distance themselves from what their colleagues in theory development do. At the same time, they profit from it, because all those hypothetical particles are used in grant proposals to justify experiments. And so the experimentalists keep their mouths shut, too. This leaves people like me, who have left the field – I now work in astrophysics – as the only ones able and willing to criticise the situation....
This procedure of inventing particles and then ruling them out has been going on so long that there are thousands of tenured professors with research groups who make a living from this. It has become generally accepted practice in the physics community. No one even questions whether it makes sense. At least not in public.
And that's a valid point: grantsmanship is replacing scientific rigor (and even scientific "common sense") in too many fields.
Yes I saw that, but to me that is THE key driver of all this useless research.
And though she mentioned it, it just didn’t come across strong enough.
Starting with the headline...
“No one in physics dares say so, but the race to invent new particles is pointless”
She should have replaced pointless with “for money”.
Also in the first sentence...
“In private, many physicists admit they do not believe the particles they are paid to search for exist – they do it because their colleagues are doing it”
Again, the key reason they’re doing is not because the colleagues are doing is for the money.
I just thought she could have been more forceful in highlighting that as the principal reason up front.
But I may be a bit too critical. I applaud her for writing such a gutsy and honest article. I’m sure her “colleagues” don’t appreciate it.