Young theories need some time before they are accepted.
This time is needed to collect experimental evidences as well as to learn and communicate.
However, it is striking that some theories are still not totally accepted after a long time and despite strong experimental support.
Why is that so?
It is obviously not because of some mathematical difficulties, as these can always be overcome.
As the Pentcho Valev illustrates quite well: there is a very simple reason: abstraction.
Believe it or not, but abstraction is still today what hurts people the most.
You might object that quantum mechanics is very abstract, and yet is better accepted that special relativity.
Actually, the foundations of quantum mechanics are based on a very concrete principle: "these are the rule to compute the observed effect ...".
Go back to the Pentcho Valev posts, you will observe that the hottest opposition is against the second law of thermodynamics.
This law states "the existence of an entropy that can only increase ...".
Mathematically this is extremely simple.
However, the concept is much more abstract than the wave function of quantum mechanics.
It is therefore more difficult to accept.
At least it is more difficult to accept for people who are not interrested in its practical use.
It is no surprise that this difficulty arises mainly on the "philosophers side".
This is so for the same reason that engineers just don't see any problem in the second law of thermodynamics.
The second law, for engineers, simply translates universal observations, mainly that heat goes from warm to cold.
After all, Gibbs got a Ph.D in engineering, not in philosophy!
Philosophers tend to have problems with what they like the most: abstraction !!! |