Carlo Rovelli says fundamental physics is overrated

Posted on by Azra Raza

Chris Stokel-Walker in Nature:

Physicist Carlo Rovelli has spent much of his career working on the theory of quantum gravity, which seeks to reconcile quantum mechanics with the general theory of relativity. But, as he explores in his latest book, On the Equality of All Things, he is increasingly pondering an even bigger question: whether there is an ultimate description of reality at all.

You used to think physics could offer an account of reality. What changed?

I think physics is a fabulous enterprise, but the world is more complicated than just a fundamental equation. It is genuinely complex, which means that understanding the basic rules doesn’t tell us much about understanding the phenomena that we are interested in. In the book, I say that fundamental physics is overrated. High-energy physics, particle physics, quantum gravity — it’s great science. I love it. It’s fantastic. It tells us something about the world. But stop thinking that it is the root of everything else.

More here.

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