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Sabine Hossenfelder
Theoretical Physicist
Sabine Hossenfelder is a German theoretical physicist, philosopher of science, author, science communicator, songwriter, and YouTuber.3 She was born on September 18, 1976, in Frankfurt, West Germany.3 Hossenfelder received her PhD in theoretical physics from Goethe University Frankfurt in 2004, with a thesis on black holes in extra dimensions.3
Career
Hossenfelder has held several academic positions throughout her career:
- Research Fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (December 2015 - May 2023)1
- Assistant Professor at Nordita (September 2009 - May 2023)1
- Postdoctoral Researcher at Perimeter Institute (September 2006 - September 2009)1
- Postdoctoral Researcher at University of California, Santa Barbara (September 2005 - August 2006)1
- Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Arizona (January 2004 - August 2005)1
Currently, she is a Member at the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy (MCMP) since April 2023.1
Research and Expertise
Hossenfelder's research interests include:
- Theoretical Physics
- Phenomenology of Quantum Gravity
- High Energy Particle Physics
- Cosmology
- Physics beyond the Standard Model
- Foundations of Quantum Mechanics1
Public Engagement
Hossenfelder is known for her science communication efforts:
- She runs a popular physics blog called "Backreaction" since 20062
- She has a YouTube channel named "Science with Sabine"3
- She has written for various publications, including Forbes, The Guardian, Quanta Magazine, and Scientific American3
Books
Hossenfelder has authored two notable books:
- "Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray" (2018)3
- "Existential Physics: A Scientist's Guide to Life's Biggest Questions" (2022)3
Her work often challenges conventional thinking in physics, particularly questioning the role of mathematical beauty in scientific theories.3
Highlights
He has a point. To me the OpenAI announcement seems to be about mathematical physics.
To most people "mathematical physics" and "theoretical physics" sound interchangeable but they are different disciplines.
Theoretical physics is solidly part of physics. In this area, researchers develop either theories that explain observations already made, or they improve existing theories to make predictions for observations. (At least that's what they should be doing.)
Mathematical physics on the other hand is usually part of the department of mathematics, not physics. It is concerned, loosely speaking, with cleaning up the mess that physicists have made of their theories of nature. Or in some cases studying the properties of theories that have nothing to do with nature. (Like physics in lower or higher dimensions, fields that don't exist in nature, etc.)
People in these two disciplines work closely together of course. But mathematical physics is more maths than physics. I would not consider it part of the natural sciences as it is not itself concerned with describing nature.
I don't know exactly what the OpenAI discovery is about, but it sounds like it is more in the area of mathematical physics rather than theoretical physics. I am not saying this makes it irrelevant, but as Andreas points out, it is of limited interest for applications.
https://t.co/5KrLAkqK1h
Recent developments strongly suggest that quantum computers are becoming dangerous much faster than expected https://t.co/wfkpd4mLQx
