Since physics separated from natural philosophy in the times of Newton, it has almost always[1] progressed when new experimental data uncovered deficiencies in then-current understanding of the universe. During the Cold War unprecedentedly large amount of money were invested into experimental physics, and by the late 20th century all reasonably low hanging fruits have been picked (in the meantime the experiments have got absurdly expensive and difficult). I have also wrote on the topic at https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/CCnycGceT4HyDKDzK/a-history-of-the-future-2025-2040?commentId=KtusJZLAFDt4PW65R and the thread below, check it out.
As of the string theory in particular, it represents just one significant school of thought very popular in the US but other theories share the same problem of lacking the experimental data to test against.
Also, the body of knowledge in physics has become so large that local progress made here and there is not really visible in the grand scheme of things anymore even if it’s worth a Nobel Prize (while during the Second Industrial Revolution one discovery could, figuratively speaking, establish a new branch of science)
Since physics separated from natural philosophy in the times of Newton, it has almost always[1] progressed when new experimental data uncovered deficiencies in then-current understanding of the universe. During the Cold War unprecedentedly large amount of money were invested into experimental physics, and by the late 20th century all reasonably low hanging fruits have been picked (in the meantime the experiments have got absurdly expensive and difficult). I have also wrote on the topic at https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/CCnycGceT4HyDKDzK/a-history-of-the-future-2025-2040?commentId=KtusJZLAFDt4PW65R and the thread below, check it out.
As of the string theory in particular, it represents just one significant school of thought very popular in the US but other theories share the same problem of lacking the experimental data to test against.
Also, the body of knowledge in physics has become so large that local progress made here and there is not really visible in the grand scheme of things anymore even if it’s worth a Nobel Prize (while during the Second Industrial Revolution one discovery could, figuratively speaking, establish a new branch of science)
Two notable exceptions that, IMHO, kind of support the rule are Maxwell’s Equations and the General Relativity