Brouhaha Brewing—Part 2

So what about Dr. Weinstein's major ground-breaking Geometric Unity announcement? Is he for real, or is he a back-room crackpot? At this point, no one knows... no one can tell. And that's the source of the brouhaha that's been brewing: right now, he can neither be validated nor refuted.

Science has methodically progressed over the centuries by a process wherein scientists collaborate with one another. Science has made its outstanding advances by dint of numerous individuals communicating and cooperating with each other. No scientist has ever generated any result, in any way other than by having access to the work of those who went before, as well as by keeping in touch with their peers in the field. Even Isaac Newton—regarded by many as the greatest scientific mind ever (who also mostly worked in solitude)—said that his greatest accomplishments were made by “standing on the shoulders of giants.” Even in isolation, long before email, Newton kept in contact with his cohorts.

Modern science usually advances when its practitioners publish their results in scientific journals. Submitted papers are reviewed by peers and approved of, before being published. These journals are crucial resources for all scientists—the means by which they become aware of others' progress, in order to redirect or reinvigorate their own work, as well as to confirm each other's results. Science has often progressed by means of showing that some proposed theory contains an error—because it can first be falsified and then improved on. It's a fine method of checks and balances.

This is the problem with Weinstein's approach. For 20 years he has labored in isolation—publishing nothing. Now he emerges into the limelight with a full-blown theory that promises to solve most every conundrum of physics. He may be right, but no one can yet verify or disprove his claims. He hits the streets with a fait accompli. He has caught fellow scientists off guard. They can't make an informed comment on the validity of Weinstein's work until he publishes—if he publishes! Some of them are understandably pissed off. He is splashing his scientific ideas around in a very unscientific manner!

Don't hold your breath on the resolution of this brouhaha. It'll be months (even years) before the verdict is in. In the meantime, tempers flare and skepticism abounds. Mainstream physicists have been thrust into an uncomfortable spot, as the pushy media pepper them with questions about the “breakthrough.” I don't expect the media to follow the course of the potentially lengthy debate that will ensue; it's not sensational enough... unless Weinstein is right. Then expect a blockbuster movie, with the trailer headlines, “Lone mathematician puts entire scientific world to shame.” Starring, of course: Leonardo DiCaprio as the intrepid scientist and Kate Winslet as his mathematically brilliant assistant and lover.