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The disunity of science is a feature, not a bug
Mathematical models wield miraculous power, but mistaking them for reality has trapped science in a destructive quest for a “Theory of Everything.” Physicist and philosopher Ragner Fjelland argues that this leads to bloated, Frankenstein theories kept alive by clumsy, ad-hoc amendments, which reduce rather than boost science’s power. Fjelland calls for a radical shift in our attitude: we must reorientate towards creating entirely new theories, celebrating rather than lamenting disunity and diversity in science. Science, from the scientific revolution in the seventeenth century to the present day, has more or less developed in a “reductionist” way. The fundamental assumption is that all sciences may be ordered in a hierarchy that can be represented as an upside-down pyramid. At the top we find the human sciences, and at the bottom physics. Strong (or “ontological”) reductionism maintains that all theories at one level can be completely reduced to the lower level, all the way down to theories of atoms and elementary particles, or whatever is “at the bottom.” In the end, all diversity in the world can be unified in one fundamental theory. Hence it is called a final theory, or a Theory of Everything.One of the central figures in developing the idea of a Theory of Everything is the Dutch theoretical physicist Gerard 't Hooft, who received a Nobel Prize in physics in 1999 for his work. He emphasizes the non-empirical status of the theory:There exists no closely resembling alternative theory. This means that any slight change brought about in the rules would make the theory unlikely or inelegant. The theory will be a "package deal": take it, or leave it. This should hold both for the local laws and for the boundary conditions.This endeavor is not new. On the contrary, it goes all the way back to the birth of Western philosophy 2,500 years ago. The Babylonians made regular astronomical observations during a period of 600 years, from 747 BCE until 150 ACE. They developed mathematical techniques to predict astronomical phenomena, but they made no attempts at explaining them. However, the Greeks developed models, both material and theoretical, to explain the observed phenomena.The best example is Plato’s late dialogue Timaeus. Here he introduces a divine craftsman, the Demiurge, who has constructed the universe according to an original plan. Plato seems to have thought that the original plan is what is actually real, while the material world is merely an imperfect realization of it. He therefore does not, in the Timaeus, reconstruct the material universe, but the original plan, which can then be used to explain the material universe.Plato’s aim in producing a theoretical model is to reconstruct the original plan. That is what he carries out in Timaeus—and some modern physicists have embarked on the same project. For example, Einstein’s basic attitude is reflected in the title of Abraham Pais’ biography: “Subtle is the Lord...,” echoing Einstein’s comment, “Subtle is the Lord, but malicious He is not.” In an interview Einstein compared our situation to a child who enters a huge library. The child knows that someone has written the books, but he does not know the languages in which they are written. He suspects that there is a mysterious order, but he does not know what it is.___“We have all been working in what Husserl called the Galilean style; that is, we have all been making abstract mathematical models of the universe to which at least the physicists give a higher degree of reality than they accord the ordinary world of sensation.”Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)___This Platonist view is contrary to a widespread impression of science, symbolized by the picture of the “father” of modern science, Galileo Galilei, with his telescope. According to this impression, Galileo liberated himself from the dominating metaphysics of his day—basically Aristotelian philosophy—and constructed a telescope that he directed towards the sky, showing that Jupiter has four moons. He also performed experiments with bronze balls rolling down inclined planes and found the law of freely falling bodies.However, in other cases Galileo emphasized the unreliability of our senses. It is easy to see why. He defended Copernicus’ heliocentric hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, we are not at rest at the center of the universe, but moving at a tremendous speed through space. Why don’t we observe this motion? Galileo praises Copernicus because “with reason as his guide he resolutely continued to affirm what sensible experience seemed to contradict.” In other places he directly refers to Plato. SUGGESTED VIEWING The quest for a final theory With Michio Kaku Galileo’s Platonism goes back to his early writings. In The Assayer, published as early as 1623, Galileo compared the universe to a grand book that is written in the language of mathematics, and “its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it.” Therefore, things that cannot be described by mathematics—for example, colors, smells and odors—are not real. They are merely subjective.This division into subjective and objective, advocated by Galileo and his younger contemporary René Descartes, is normally associated with a mechanistic world view, which is regarded as the opposite of Platonism. When we reduce something to, for example, molecules and atoms, we move “downwards.” In contrast, the Platonist moves “upwards,” to abstract entities. However, it only shows that when we address fundamental questions, we should be careful in applying everyday spatial metaphors like “up” and “down.”___Nature is complex, and we cannot in general construct mathematical models that adequately describe the world.___The endeavor of finding a Theory of Everything has been heavily criticized. In 2006, the theoretical physicist Lee Smolin published “The Crisis in Fundamental Physics.” He argued that one of the most fundamental principles of science is that we should only regard theories as scientific if we have the possibility to show that they are false by experiments. Although he did not refer to Karl Popper, other critics have referred to Popper and argued that a theory is not scientific if it cannot be falsified (see for example Ellis & Silk 2014).These were not the first physicists to be anti-reductionists. In 1972, the journal Science published an article by the physicist Philip Anderson with the title “More Is Different.” This is the kind of article a scientist would normally write only after he has won a Nobel Prize. However, Anderson won the Nobel Prize for physics five years later, in 1977. The article is amazing, not primarily because it argues in favor of anti-reductionism in general, but because it argues for anti-reductionism within physics itself. Anderson’s conclusion was:At each stage entirely new laws, concepts, and generalizations are necessary, requiring inspiration and creativity to just as great a degree as in the previous one. Psychology is not applied biology, nor is biology applied chemistry.We may say that Plato started the “unity of science movement,” based on Euclidean geometry as the model of all knowledge. A distinguishing mark of geometry is that all possible constructions can be reduced to a few fundamental principles. We have to acknowledge that this approach has limitations. In general, we can easily model technological systems. In addition, we may construct simplified and idealized models that capture important aspects of systems, from various perspectives and for various purposes. But nature is complex, and we cannot in general construct mathematical models that adequately describe the world. In a complex system, each level has its distinct, emergent, properties that are characteristic of this level. Therefore, a complex system should be investigated at different levels and from different perspectives. Instead of exclusively pursuing a scientific ideal based on the unity of science, we should acknowledge the diversity—or even the disunity—of science.
Ukrainian troops say 'droid' with .50-cal gun fought off Russians for 45 days
It's one of the first times that Ukrainian troops have said they used a ground drone to replace humans in holding the line for an extended period.
US business equipment borrowings down more than 4% y/y in November, ELFA says
U.S. companies borrowed 4.4% less to finance equipment investments in November compared with the same period a year earlier, the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) said on Monday.
Sports Injuries Worse During An Athlete's Period, Study Says
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, Dec. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Sports injuries sustained by female athletes tend to be worse during their period, a new study reports. Injuries are more severe and take longer to heal during menstruation, researchers recently reported in the journal
Spurs picking up steam ahead of rematch vs. Wizards
The San Antonio Spurs look to build on their success on the road when they visit the improving Washington Wizards on Sunday in the second game between the teams in a four-day period.
Strengthening U.S.-Nigerian Health Cooperation under the America First Global Health Strategy - U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria
Strengthening U.S.-Nigerian Health Cooperation under the America First Global Health Strategy The United States signed a five-year, $5.1 billion bilateral health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Republic of Nigeria December 19 to advance the America First Global Health Strategy, supporting resilient, self-reliant, and durable health systems while promoting accountability and shared responsibility. Under the five-year MOU, the United States intends to commit nearly $2.1 billion in health assistance, with nearly $3.0 billion in new domestic health expenditures by the Government of Nigeria over the same five-year period. This represents the largest co-investment any country has made to date under the America First Global Health Strategy and underscore Nigeria’s commitment to greater national ownership of its health system. Under the MOU, the United States will continue to support surveillance and outbreak response, laboratory systems, health commodities; frontline healthcare workers, and data systems. Nigeria faces significant health challenges, including one of the highest maternal and child mortality rates globally and approximately30 percent of the global malaria burden. U.S. assistance under the MOU will expand access to affordable, preventive and curative services for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, polio, and maternal and child health, strengthening health outcomes across Nigeria. The MOU places a strong emphasis on Christian faith-based healthcare providers, recognizing their indispensable role in delivering care to communities in need. Nigeria’s more than 900 faith-based clinics and hospitals serve more than 30 percent of the country’s 230 million people, often in areas where healthcare facilities are limited or absent. The MOU provides approximately $200 million in dedicated support to strengthen and support these Christian facilities, enhance workforce capacity, and expand access to integrated HIV, TB, malaria, and maternal child health services. Investments in Christian faith-based health institutions are uniquely positioned to complement public-sector facilities and reinforce Nigeria’s overall health infrastructure. The MOU was negotiated in connection with reforms undertaken by the Government of Nigeria to prioritize the protection of Christian populations from extremist violence. As with all U.S. foreign assistance, the President and Secretary of State retain the right to pause or terminate programs that do not align with U.S. national interests, and the United States expects Nigeria to continue making measurable progress in combating religiously motivated violence against Christian communities. This five-year MOU is the latest of several health cooperation MOUs signed in Africa this month. The United States will continue to sign multi-year Bilateral Agreements on Global Health Cooperation with countries receiving U.S. health assistance to advance the America First Global Health Strategy.
Premier League questions for Arsenal, Villa and Man United
With the festive period arriving, here are three questions to watch as the Premier League games come fast and furious
The field for New Orleans legislative races has been set. See candidates
The three-day qualifying period to fill a handful of New Orleans’ legislative seats on Friday has ended, setting the stage for new representation within the city's delegation.
Medtronic’s Diabetes Management Business MiniMed Files for IPO
The Northridge, California-based company had a net loss of $21 million on revenue of $1.5 billion for the six months ended October 24, compared with a net loss of $23 million on revenue of $1.3 billion in the corresponding period a year earlier, according to its filing Friday with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing positions the company to join a busy slate of possible debuts in the first months of 2026.
Guns marketed for personal safety fuel public health crisis in Black communities
KFF Health News undertook an examination of gun violence during the pandemic, a period when firearm deaths reached an all-time high.
Americans Facing Soaring Health Insurance Costs May Get a Lifeline in 2026, Experts Say
By Amina Niasse and Ahmed Aboulenein NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Americans facing skyrocketing Obamacare health insurance premiums could still get a break from expanded government subsidies in 2026 through retroactive legislation and possibly a special enrollment period, investors,
Wilkes Weekly: Two wins and a dud
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins won their first two games last week before the rare blowout loss took them down a notch. Nick Hart at WBSPenguins with more: Wednesday, Dec. 10 – PENGUINS 3 at Hartford 0Sergei Murashov thwarted a first-period barrage from the Wolf Pack, earning to a 34-save shutout. Phil Tomasino and Avery Hayes scored on […]
NVIDIA Plans to Reduce RTX 50 Production by Up to 40% in Early 2026
Reports from Asian supply chain sources suggest that NVIDIA might cut back on making GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs in the first six months of 2026, Videocardz reports. According to Board Channels, overall supply during H1 2026 could be down by roughly 30-40% compared to the same period in 2025, althoug...
Access Health CT extends enrollment period after website outage
People who were unable to enroll for health care coverage through Access Health CT due to intermittent website outages before the deadline at midnight on Monday still have a chance to sign up. The website has been restored, but anyone who missed out can contact Access Health CT by Saturday, Dec. 20 to enroll. “We understand how important access to…
RSM US Middle Market Business Index Improves on Rising Revenues and Earnings
The RSM US Middle Market Business Index (MMBI), presented by RSM US LLP ("RSM") in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, rose to 131.5 in the fourth quarter from 123.3 in the prior period on a seasonally adjusted basis. The survey results are supported by rising revenues and earnings and reflect growing optimism among middle market firms, even as attitudes on the general economy remain sour.
Your period may make sport injuries more severe
Professional footballer players who became injured while on their period took longer to recover than when injuries occurred at other times of their menstrual cycle
How Jasmine Crockett, chaotic end to candidate filing period changed North Texas politics
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett's eleventh hour decision to run for Senate highlighted a chaotic end to the candidate filing period for the March 3 primaries. It...
West Virginia Secretary of State warns business owners about third-party annual report solicitations
West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner is warning business owners about third-party solicitations that resemble official government forms but are private advertisements. He urges businesses to file directly through Business4.WV.gov and notes the 2026 Annual Report filing period runs from January 1 to June 30, 2026.
US women's hockey team beats Canada 4-1 in Edmonton to sweep Rivalry Series
Hilary Knight scored twice in the third period and the U.S. women's hockey team beat Canada 4-1 on Saturday night to sweep the four-game Rivalry Series.
Life expectancy is Summit County has declined. Here's why:
Life expectancy in Summit County has declined from 78.5 years to 76.3 years between the periods of 2014-2018 and 2019-2023, a drop of 2.2 years.
Total asset finance new business in October 2025 rises by 7%: FLA
Over the first ten months of 2025, total new asset finance business was 2% higher than in the same period in 2024.
Kings collapse late as Kraken rally for OT win
Los Angeles surrendered its lead late in the third period before going on to fall in the extra period.
‘Hamnet’ Heads to India Via Reliance Entertainment as Awards Buzz Builds (EXCLUSIVE)
Reliance Entertainment will distribute the acclaimed period drama 'Hamnet' across India in February 2026, as the film gains awards momentum.
Scientists are turning Earth into a giant detector for hidden forces shaping our Universe
SQUIRE aims to detect exotic spin-dependent interactions using quantum sensors deployed in space, where speed and environmental conditions vastly improve sensitivity. Orbiting sensors tap into Earth’s enormous natural polarized spin source and benefit from low-noise periodic signal modulation. A robust prototype with advanced noise suppression and radiation-hardened engineering now meets the requirements for space operation. The long-term goal is a powerful space-ground network capable of exploring dark matter and other beyond-Standard-Model phenomena.
LiaFi Introduces TOR Score Dashboard for Small Business Cash Flow Management
ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky., December 03, 2025--LiaFi, a Fintech platform built for small businesses, today announced enhancements to its TOR Score dashboard, a proprietary cash flow variability metric designed to give sole proprietors and small business owners clarity on their financial health. The TOR Score, short for Track, Optimize, Refine, translates complex transaction data into a single score that reveals cash flow stability, identifies surplus opportunities, and flags potential risk periods. With
2026 Tennessee football early signing period tracker
2026 Tennessee football early signing period recruiting tracker.
Regé-Jean Page to headline new erotic Netflix series 4 years after departing “Bridgerton”
Page has appeared in the ensembles of "The Gray Man," "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves," and "Black Bag" since exiting the period drama series.
Why AMC Entertainment Stock Got Mashed on Monday
Key PointsThe Thanksgiving weekend period didn't compare favorably to the 2024 version.