2020/07/25 by Pascal Lederer, Lederer, Pascal
Arts and Humanities · Neuroscience · #Cognitive Science and Education Research #FOS: Physical sciences #History and Philosophy of Physics (physics.hist-ph) #Philosophy and History of Science
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2007.12849
openalex publication_date 2020/07/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
In 1988, in cooperation with a team of experimental physicists, a Condensed Matter theorist, X, published in Physical Review Letters a crucial experimental result dealing with a revolutionary new theory. The conclusions of the paper were proved incorrect a few months later. I discuss the various factors -- scientific, instrumental, but also psychological, sociological ones -- which led to this blunder. I believe this story sheds some light on the process of scientific discovery, explanation, falsification, confirmation, and errors.