[ExI] Judging radical possibilities

[Dennis May]

Anders Sandberg wrote:
 
"How do we judge the likeliehood of radical changes of physics?"

"Assuming we were to have to either drop relativity or causality, 
but did not know which, what method would we use to determine 
the most rational course of action?"

Implicit in the questions is the idea that there is a "we" - a collective
decision to be made to establish a new consensus or orthodoxy that
we all somehow share.  I would argue that the pressures to form
a poorly conceived or unwilling consensus has in a number of 
instances lead to bad science and in this case a bad physics affecting
all of science.

A related problem is the collectivist funding of education and science
under the banner of consensus and orthodoxy.  After all we can't
have government money funding the wrong ideas so we must use
the gun of government to decide which views are to be supported -
and by default those which are to be divested of support.  Who
will control the gun of government in making the consensus
decisions and direct future education for all?  The decision makers
will be those who are able to best integrate into the structure of
government and adapt to the needs and desires of government.
What happens to private investment in science when the money
is taken from private hands then directed towards those supporting
government directed orthodox science?

I support a free market in science where all can compete for 
acceptance of ideas and money to fund research.  Consensus can 
exist along side differing views that are never resolved.  Consensus
funded at the point of a gun can keep everyone on the same page but
if that page is the wrong page the error is difficult to correct and the
damage can continue for generations.

I have very specific and radical views of what needs to change in
physics.  I do not expect the orthodoxy to suddenly pivot [as if
an oil tanker at full steam can turn on a dime].  I do however
resent public funding of opposing viewpoints and public funding
of education pushing those opposing viewpoints using my hard
earned money taken at gunpoint.

I am very happy to discuss what needs to happen in physics
to correct the errors of the past and forge better theories but
I do not see it as a directed process where the mysterious
"we" has any final say.

Dennis May
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