[ExI] Discontent with the path physics is taking

[Dennis May]

Beginning in 1991 and continuing to this day I have noticed
that de Broglie-Bohm mechanics and related theories seem
to generate more interest in Hispanic countries than most
other countries.  A friend in graduate school was a student 
in Puerto Rico of one of de Broglie's students.  France
and Germany also seem to have some interest also related
to students and colleagues of de Broglie and later Vigier
but that seems proportional to their physics activity
generally.  I have seen virtually no interest in Asian
countries, lower than expected in the US and other English
speaking countries.  I have also seen a scattering of interest
in Islamic Africa and the Middle East- particularly Iran. 
Bohm did stint in Brazil which may have also contributed
to some of the Hispanic interest. 
I do not know the cultural significance of this observation
but I have seen it for 20 years - perhaps the stagnation of
string theory physics in the mainstream has not spread to 
all corners of academia? 
Dennis May


From: Sophia Rose <sen.otaku at googlemail.com>
To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Sent: Friday, August 19, 2011 8:05 PM
Subject: Re: [ExI] Discontent with the path physics is taking


Even if science is a cultural product, there are lots of subcultures within all countries that have scientific research. What effect do you feel these subcultures have on the pursuit of science in general, or Physics in specific? 
I know that it is a general trend in dominant culture to grab the limelight for one's self (I think that is easily drawn from the Reality Star trend). So we are saying that this is the motivation behind this race for String Theory? The desire to be the next Einstein/Newton/Maxwell?

And if so, how is that different from past trends? What was the previous motivation for scientific discoveries? Is it possible, or even desirable to return to that?


2011/8/19 Stefano Vaj <stefano.vaj at gmail.com>

>
>Why, in 2011 we should have learned by now that science is no less a cultural product than anything else... :-)  
> -- 
>Stefano Vaj
> 
_______________________________________________
extropy-chat mailing list
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/extropy-chat/attachments/20110820/e358203b/attachment.html>