--- title: "Former Particle Physicist Absolutely Annihilates the Field of Particle Physics" description: "According to former particle physicist Sabine Hossenfelder, the state of the field of particle physics is misguided and wasteful." date: "2022-09-27" modified: "2022-09-27" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/particle-physicist-annihilates-particle-physics" categories: - "Physics" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "large hadron collider" - "particle physics" - "physicist" - "the digest" --- # Former Particle Physicist Absolutely Annihilates the Field of Particle Physics ![According to former particle physicist Sabine Hossenfelder, the state of the field of particle physics is misguided and wasteful.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Shots Fired If you have trouble keeping up with the latest particle physics, we don't blame you. The buzzy field has exploded in recent years, with a vast string of highly experimental studies — and a lot of highly inconclusive literature — spawning as a result. You'd be forgiven for assuming that if this much [time, money, and effort]() and is going into one particular realm of study, [it must be worth it](). Right? According to former particle physicist Sabine Hossenfelder, the answer, sadly, is wrong. "It has become common among physicists to invent new particles for which there is no evidence, publish papers about them, write more papers about these particles' properties, and demand the hypothesis be experimentally tested," Hossenfelder, who now works as an astrophysicist, argued in an excoriating [essay for ]()*[The Guardian]().* "It is wasting time and money." ## Big Grain Time Hossenfelder's case rests on several criticisms of the field, the first being social. Basically, she says, everyone is following the leader. If your peers are receiving grants in the name of far-flung, conceptual, [unproven particles](), why would anyone opt out? Science isn't cheap, and going against the grain is by nature a far more difficult sell. But that issue aside, the astrophysicist believes there to be a deeper problem with the race for particle discovery: that particle physicists have "misconstrued" Karl Popper's [philosophy of falsifiability](), incorrectly interpreting it to mean, as she writes, that "any falsifiable idea is also good science." In other words, many of her peers have used falsifiability to justify a heft chunk of dead end research, rather than using it as a guideline. And this, in her opinion, has led to the use and study of misinterpreted-and-or-probably-not-real particles as convenient plugs for statistical holes in a number of other theories. A troubling observation, given that, if true, it would mean that *a lot* of research out there is being held up by nonexistent glue. "I believe there are breakthroughs waiting to be made in the foundations of physics; the world needs technological advances more than ever before," the astrophysicist explains, "now is not the time to idle around inventing particles, arguing that even a blind chicken sometimes finds a grain." "It saddens me," she added, "to see that the field has become a factory for useless academic papers." **READ MORE:** *[No one in physics dares say so, but the race to invent new particles is pointless]()* \[*The Guardian*\] **More on particle physics:** *[Cern Scientists Annoyed That People Think They're Ripping a Hole in Reality]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()