Edward Witten

The theoretical physics landscape faces a reckoning as prominent figures begin to distance themselves from String Theory, a framework that has dominated the field for four decades. Eric%20Weinstein argues that the scientific community is witnessing a structural collapse, likening the current atmosphere to the early days of a financial crisis. This shift comes as legendary practitioners like Leonard%20Susskind reportedly admit that the theory, in its current form, does not describe the physical reality of our world. The Sociology of Institutional Capture Weinstein identifies a phenomenon he calls "Science TM," a corporate-adjacent version of research that prioritizes institutional preservation over objective truth. He suggests that String Theory proponents maintained a 40-year monopoly by aggressively suppressing competing ideas. This dominance wasn't merely intellectual; it was sociological. By controlling funding agencies like the National%20Science%20Foundation and elite journals like Nature, the establishment effectively ended the careers of dissenters. Weinstein views this as a breach of the scientific contract, noting that no startup would receive four decades of runway without a minimal viable product. Theoretical Retconning and the Search for Exits As the predictive failures of the theory become undeniable, the narrative is shifting. Weinstein describes this as "theoretical retconning," where physicists claim they were actually studying related mechanisms rather than the core theory itself. He points to Leonard%20Susskind as a primary example of someone trying to "plead to a parking ticket" after decades of intellectual dominance. This retreat signals a loss of confidence within the String%20Theory%20Community, which now struggles to define exactly what their primary object of study even is. A New Trade: Shorting Science TM To fix the discipline, Weinstein proposes an asymmetric strategy: go "long" on fundamental science while aggressively "shorting" the institutional gatekeepers. He argues for a return to basic research funding models similar to those used by the military before the Mansfield%20Amendment. By allowing researchers intellectual property rights over basic discoveries, the field could incentivize genuine breakthroughs. He believes that without the parasitic influence of "Science TM," theoretical physics could see massive progress within just five years, potentially unlocking new understanding of the particle spectrum through tools like General%20Relativity.