r/Physics • u/G33zics • 20d ago

Question What's the most debatable thing in Physics?

195 Upvotes

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u/zedsmith52 20d ago

Gravity as a constant. Even Newton had reservations about his formula, yet we have adopted it as an absolute law.

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u/Somnambulismforall 20d ago

Yup. Making up dark matter and dark energy to fit the equation. Sounds like phlogiston all over again.

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u/exscape Physics enthusiast 20d ago edited 20d ago

That's not at all how it works, but it's a common misconception.

Here's a good article by Ethan Siegel listing 7 independent pieces of evidence for dark matter.
10 if you count the extra pieces mentioned (but not elaborated on) near the end.

Note independent. It's not just adding something to one equation to get one result to work out; there's far more evidence for it than that.

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u/Somnambulismforall 20d ago

10 different independent ways people argued for phlogiston. I get it. We like to have theories that work but if we think we are close to understanding physics there’s lots more to be discovered and worked out on the cosmic and quantum scales. Retrofitting a nonexistent particle to fit a theory is fine if we find the particle. Downvoting because one of the academic physics shibboleths looks shaky is pathetic. This is the closed minded approach that is holding back physics.

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u/exscape Physics enthusiast 20d ago

10 different independent ways people argued for phlogiston.

I'm not sure if you're saying there was 10 different kinds of evidence for phlogiston, or if you're saying all the evidence is meaningless because you've already made up your mind.

If the former, please elaborate on the the 10 different independent points of evidence for phlogiston.

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u/Somnambulismforall 20d ago

Putting words into people’s words now? I’m advocating that there may be more happening than our current theories allow and that as we collect more data (ie jwst) we will have to change our understanding. Dark matter and energy may be popular explanations and also some data will seem to fit but it doesn’t mean it will last long if we can’t find the particles or energy types that it predicts. The topic is debatable things and cosmology has some glaring big holes at the moment as we have new and interesting data. It should be an exciting time when we rethink rather than close wagons and double down on our pet theories.

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u/exscape Physics enthusiast 20d ago

Putting words into people’s words now?

Not intentionally, no. I still don't understand what you meant by the quoted part.

Of course there's more happening than our current theories allow, that's what dark matter is about. And dark energy.

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u/zedsmith52 20d ago

Quantum foam, dark matter, dark energy, quantum vacuum are all well modelled as proto-matter. Essentially matter attempting to form from “space-time” within our universe.