Two theoretical physicists go head to head on the mysteries of the universe!

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We have the impression that science unravels the mysteries of the universe. But with every mystery solved, a new mystery emerges. The Big Bang gave us an explanation for the expanding universe but left the mystery of how it came about. Quantum mechanics accounted for the strange behaviour of subatomic particles, but led to the puzzle of its conflict with relativity. Dark energy made sense of an accelerating universe but led to the mystery of why we have no evidence for it. Is there a danger that we are making a fundamental mistake in imagining science can eradicate mystery, and do we need to think of science differently as a consequence?

Do we need to abandon the idea that science has the potential to provide a complete explanation? Should we not expect science to eradicate mystery and instead simply require that its theories work well enough for our current aims and purposes? Or is the ability to overcome mystery essential to the effective operation of science and a core idea responsible for its success?

#TheoreticalPhysics #Universe #Mystery

Avshalom Elitzur is a Professor in the Centre for Quantum Studies at Chapman University in the United States and is deemed by many to be an intellectual powerhouse in both the fields of physics and philosophy. Having left school at sixteen to work as a lab technician, he presented a paper on quantum mechanics at Temple University, after which he was invited to Tel Aviv University to complete his doctorate on the subject. Elitzur is best known for his work on the Elitzur–Vaidman bombtesting problem in quantum mechanics.

Claudia de Rham is a Swiss theoretical physicist working at the interface of gravity, cosmology and particle physics. She is based at Imperial College London. She was one of the UK finalists in the Physical Sciences and Engineering category of the Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists in 2018 for revitalizing the theory of massive gravity, and won the award in 2020.

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