The Quantum Field Theory on Which the Everyday World Supervenes

2021/01/19 by Sean M. Carroll, Carroll, Sean M. · 4 voices
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #History and Philosophy of Physics (physics.hist-ph) #physics.hist-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2101.07884

Abstract

Effective Field Theory (EFT) is the successful paradigm underlying modern theoretical physics, including the "Core Theory" of the Standard Model of particle physics plus Einstein's general relativity. I will argue that EFT grants us a unique insight: each EFT model comes with a built-in specification of its domain of applicability. Hence, once a model is tested within some domain (of energies and interaction strengths), we can be confident that it will continue to be accurate within that domain. Currently, the Core Theory has been tested in regimes that include all of the energy scales relevant to the physics of everyday life (biology, chemistry, technology, etc.). Therefore, we have reason to be confident that the laws of physics underlying the phenomena of everyday life are completely known.

Discussions

• Seems like it might be worth spending some time on Sean Caroll's claim the the 'core' effective field theory is completely adequate to understand our everyday world. arxiv.org/abs/2101.07884 I used to [bsky, 3 points, 2 comments]
• And though it is a bit more technical, you might also enjoy this 2021 article by @seanmcarroll.bsky.social discussing the "Core Theory" – the standard model of particle physics, along with general rel [bsky, 3 points, 0 comments]
• Somewhat disappointed that nobody seems to have caught the His Dark Materials joke in this paper. (Or maybe they were just too polite to draw attention to it.) https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.07884 [bsky, 0 points, 1 comments]
• Yes, it has. What you are imagining is not in accordance with how quantum field theory works. If you want to posit some interaction among $2n$ electrons, you can certainly consider such an term in you [stackexchange, 0 points]

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