I think if someone thinks it’s interesting they can throw money at it to hire physicists to explore the idea properly. Everyone has a substack. I’m not even saying that there needs to be a peer reviewed article. But if you could build a simulation that could be used to test the hypothesis and throw that on GitHub then others could play around with the ideas. Currently that’s not possible but seems like an obvious next step when trying to convince others of the idea. It would also allow you to explore the failure modes in the theory because that’s something that’s hard to do when you are constructing thought experiments of your pet theory. Because that’s all this really is, there’s no application [1] to cosmology except our understanding of large scale evolution of the universe. So it’s just bragging rights that others accept your explanation.
1. I suppose there could be some kind of high concept sci-fi rigmarole that could be arrived at via cosmology or perhaps it could inform exotic material construction in particle accelerators or something like that. I suppose by “application” I mean something more down to earth like building a new kind of computer, solving climate change, producing a fusion reactor, etc.
I see what you're saying, and I appreciate your thoughtful response.
I'll admit, I tend to get excited by things and lean into them harder than what most people do. However, I've taken time to consider WHY I'm so excited by this theory, and I believe it's because it has the feel to me of a solid idea that just needs the weight of the scientific community behind it.
String theory is some impressive math, and it's usefulness for practical applications really only extends as much as to say that "math is useful." If it offers predictive or explanatory powers, they're far beyond my layperson's understanding, as I can't conceptualize any part of it in a way that I apply to the world I observe. I'm not saying we don't need string theory by any means, but I do feel that CNS (and Gough's additions to it) offer more in that regard, and the postulates of the theory should be examined and tested thoroughly as a result.
I guess what I'm saying is it's not some crazy idea a wacky writer had while working on a sci-fi book. It's not some CTMU nonsense that requires its own language and mental gymnastics to process. It's applying principles we've learned in other sciences to cosmology in an attempt to understand the structure we see at all levels and to explain why the fundamental constants are what they are. Smolin presents the idea within the framework of science and society in a fascinating way, while Gough presents it the way you'd expect a writer to, so it's got even more human scent all over it, but I don't believe that should be discrediting in any way.
In your opinion, what would be the best way for Gough -- as a novelist -- to get enough experts onboard with the idea to put in the requisite research and development of the idea so that it can be improved to the level this audience is suggesting it should be? And how should he do that in a way that doesn't draw the immediate and reflexive derisive snort we've seen from this crowd?
Thanks again for responding! I really do appreciate the opposing perspective!
Today's theories are constrained by so much observational data that an idea sounding "solid" or plausible at first glance just isn't enough. There are many plausible ideas that have been and are being tried all the time. The proof is in the pudding, however, which is the math. You have to show that the physical model actually predicts what we observe in quantitative terms, and is in better accordance with the observational data than the existing established theories. If you can do that, great. Otherwise, mere ideas don't yet amount to much.
See, I think that's where things just need to be cleaned up and pieced together here. Dr. Priyamvada Natarajan (https://physics.yale.edu/people/priyamvada-natarajan) proved mathematically that direct-collapse SMBH in the early cosmos is possible, which Gough mentions and links to. But I agree that these elements need to be assembled into a larger, cohesive model that can be studied and ran through simulations.
However, the question remains as to how to gather experts and convince them to work towards this without some sort of ideation phase, which is, to my understanding, the phase this work is currently being presented as. A "Hey Science, come look at this, please!" invitation.
The way you convince scientists to work on something is to convince them they can get grant money to do it. fyi calling scientists Dr. Is weird. I have a PhD but If someone called me Dr. mnky9800n I would tell them to stop. Honorifics don’t respect me they alienate me and I prefer to feel like everyone is colleagues and equals.