Warp wrote:
>   One thing I have never really understood is why they are so vehemently
> trying to find a "unified theory of everything".

	Probably different people have different answers/reasons.

	Theoretical physicists are rarely concerned with what is practical. An 
underlying assumption among many is that there *is* a universal theory, 
and since there is, the models they currently have don't describe the 
"truth" (although they may describe all of it).

	Also, if they find such a theory, they may be able to predict phenomena 
not seen otherwise. His paper predicts a number of new particles, for 
example. Perhaps no one would have observed them (assuming its true) in 
experiments had they not been guided on where to look by such a theory.

	And, I assume, there are still phenomena that current physics doesn't 
explain adequately. So they assume a universal theory will do a better job.

	I remember as an undergrad arguing with my engineering professors on a 
very similar concept. In circuits, we learn certain equations (Ohm's 
Law, oscillating systems, etc). However, most professors don't point out 
the analogy between those systems and mechanical ones (the equations are 
of the exact same mathematical form).  Later when the students studied 
mechanics courses, almost no one saw the relationship and they 
re-learned all those properties. And I'm sure they'd do it again for any 
other oscillating system they'd study.

	When I took basic physics courses, they did things differently. They 
first studied the mathematical properties of that class of equations 
(perhaps motivated by a real world example). Once all the math was taken 
care of, they went through one physical system after another, showed 
that their governing equations had the same form, and then obtained the 
basic physical properties of all those systems in one fell swoop.

	Now they sure could have gone the route that the engineers did. But I 
think everyone would agree they "understood" the systems better once 
they understood the unifying principles (the properties of the 
mathematical equations in abstract).

-- 
Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same 
tune?


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