Live data from Hacker News

Simple Rules ‘Bootstrap’ the Laws of Physics

quantamagazine.org

1–10 of 96 posts

Re: Simple Rules ‘Bootstrap’ the Laws of Physics

#2
> When bootstrapping, physicists determine how elementary particles with different amounts of “spin,” or intrinsic angular momentum, can consistently behave. In doing this, they rediscover the four fundamental forces that shape the universe.

They have derived gravity through quantum mechanics? What rock have I been living under?

Re: Simple Rules ‘Bootstrap’ the Laws of Physics

#3
Wondering if anyone could recommend a layman's introduction to "spin". I've read the Wikipedia article, I broadly understand it, but just curious as to how it was discovered, why it is considered an "intrinsic" form of angular momentum, and why it is so fundamental a concept in our universe.

Re: Simple Rules ‘Bootstrap’ the Laws of Physics

#4
post #2

> When bootstrapping, physicists determine how elementary particles with different amounts of “spin,” or intrinsic angular momentum, can consistently behave. In doing this, they rediscover the four fundamental forces that shape the universe. They have derived gravity through quantum mechanics? What rock have I been living under?

> They have derived gravity through quantum mechanics?

Sort of! The problem is that the solutions of the existing quantum field theories are not renormalizable so infinities arise in the solutions. The whole point of quantum gravity is to find realizable solutions.

Re: Simple Rules ‘Bootstrap’ the Laws of Physics

#5
post #2

> When bootstrapping, physicists determine how elementary particles with different amounts of “spin,” or intrinsic angular momentum, can consistently behave. In doing this, they rediscover the four fundamental forces that shape the universe. They have derived gravity through quantum mechanics? What rock have I been living under?

Not a physicist by any means, but from the article it talks about gravity in the context of the graviton (as one plausible solution to the problem mentioned). Which is still hypothetical, so it's not like they've proven gravity from first principle or anything.

Re: Simple Rules ‘Bootstrap’ the Laws of Physics

#7
post #5
post #2

> When bootstrapping, physicists determine how elementary particles with different amounts of “spin,” or intrinsic angular momentum, can consistently behave. In doing this, they rediscover the four fundamental forces that shape the universe. They have derived gravity through quantum mechanics? What rock have I been living under?

Not a physicist by any means, but from the article it talks about gravity in the context of the graviton (as one plausible solution to the problem mentioned). Which is still hypothetical, so it's not like they've proven gravity from first principle or anything.

As a layman reading this, it’s funny. Because I do not need gravity proven to me from first principles ;)

Re: Simple Rules ‘Bootstrap’ the Laws of Physics

#8
The content of the article is very interesting and worth reading, but the framing feels circular. Some laws of nature are fundamental and other laws are inevitable consequences of those laws. If the inevitable laws were not inevitable, then they would be fundamental. As our knowledge and explanatory power grows, some laws that first appeared fundamental have been explained in terms of deeper laws, but we must still ask why the deeper laws exist.

Re: Simple Rules ‘Bootstrap’ the Laws of Physics

#9
post #7
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not a physicist by any means, but from the article it talks about gravity in the context of the graviton (as one plausible solution to the problem mentioned). Which is still hypothetical, so it's not like they've proven gravity from first principle or anything.

As a layman reading this, it’s funny. Because I do not need gravity proven to me from first principles ;)

Proven is the wrong word. You cannot prove a theory.

Deriving a description of gravity from first principles would be more appropriate

Re: Simple Rules ‘Bootstrap’ the Laws of Physics

#10

Wondering if anyone could recommend a layman's introduction to "spin". I've read the Wikipedia article, I broadly understand it, but just curious as to how it was discovered, why it is considered an "intrinsic" form of angular momentum, and why it is so fundamental a concept in our universe.

[deleted]
Post reply on HN