
Quantum Computing May Help Us Study Quantum Gravity - MindGods
https://www.quantamagazine.org/john-preskill-quantum-computing-may-help-us-study-quantum-gravity-20200715/?
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Koshkin
I think we have been focused too much on computational models (which is what
mathematics essentially is) while the solution to quantum gravity may lie in a
new _conceptual_ framework. Most of the books on quantum mechanics and ones on
general relativity jump, way too quickly, to what essentially comes down to
merely describing the mathematical tools, which enforces the "shut up and
calculate" mindset. This is indeed valuable from the practical standpoint,
because most physics courses are intended for future engineers and specialists
in applied science. But being presented with Schrödinger's equation, its
consequences, and methods of solving it on the one hand, and Einstein's field
equation on the other, does _nothing_ in the way of raising one's conceptual
awareness of the real "meaning of it all" and the unity of Nature.

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mhh__
We present engineers with equations, in physics we derive them. Maybe doesn't
seem important to outsiders but the distinction is very important. There are
no engineers studying general relativity, I should add.

If your book jumps straight to mathematical machinery, read another book -
different authors have different approaches.

We know the tools are incomplete one way or another - there probably is
another conceptual framework, just that no one can come up with one yet that
we can test on earth. That conceptual model still has to fit the vague shape
of a scientific theory i.e. predictions, hypothesis etc.

You may be surprised how little framework there is to modern physics - there
is a rich mathematical basis but at it's core there aren't many (if any?)
assumptions to it (by which I mean glaring ones I.e. we assume space is flat
for QM because it practically is). We don't have a handle on the fundamentals
of quantum mechanics yet, but part of that is that it boils down to philosophy
in a sense and physicists generally don't spend much time thinking about it.
Shut up and calculate is very tempting because there is a huge amount of
calculating to be done.

