Editing Quantum Gravity (section)

== QG as a Paralyzing and Stagnating Force ==
Weinstein describes QG as inducing "permanent paralytic failure," turning physics into unfailing "toy models" and causing 50-year stagnation.

* "Instantly stop all progress in the world’s most successful scientific community using only two words inducing permanent paralytic failure that cannot be questioned. I’ll go first: [[Quantum Gravity|“Quantum Gravity”]]." (November 7, 2022).<ref>[https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1589640516920837120 November 7, 2022]</ref>
* "By mumbling [[Quantum Gravity|“Quantum Gravity”]] every 2 minutes as a mantra and recasting actual High Energy Physics as “Phenomenology” they mis-educated an entire generation to think “toy physics” was real physics. It’s unbelievable. Toy physics is real geometry & topology. But it ain’t physics." (April 22, 2021).<ref>[https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1385263871347159044 April 22, 2021]</ref>
* "Real physics: A) Works with dimension 4. B) Works with SU(3)xSU(2)xU(1). C) Uses observed quantum numbers. D) Accepts Lorentzian Signature. E) Focuses on 3 Generation. There is *Nothing* wrong with toy models now and then. But we are talking *entire careers* playing with toys." (April 22, 2021).<ref>[https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1385263872240537604 April 22, 2021]</ref>
* "We tell people who are basically mathematicians that they’re physicists. Well, they aren’t. Physicists say things about the world. And those things *need* to be potentially wrong to qualify as physics. We have a culture of people who can’t *afford* error. So they just do math." (April 22, 2021).<ref>[https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1385263873117155328 April 22, 2021]</ref>
* "No theory lead advance in fundamental physics for almost 50 years, yet no soul searching about who lost physics?? Are we kidding?" (April 22, 2021).<ref>[https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1385263864481124360 April 22, 2021]</ref>
* "Physics in 1980: “I’m trying to grasp why nature has 3 generations of chiral fermions with SU(3)xSU(2)xU(1) internal symmetry.” Physics Today: “Remind me again what the internal quantum numbers are? I do [quantum gravity] so it’s not something I’ve worked with since my QFT class.”" (August 24, 2022).<ref>[https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1562460746920497153 August 24, 2022]</ref>
* "To put it bluntly, it is not just that [[Quantum Gravity]] doesn't work. It's that you can't comfortably question Quatnum Gravity because the failed investment is on a scale that I think is difficult for us to contemplate. It includes [StringTheory], Loop Quantum Gravity, AdS/CFT etc." (February 2, 2023).<ref>[https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1621054186920837120 February 2, 2023]</ref>
* "Next Year, will be 40 years of failure for modern [[String Theory|StringTheory]] to ship a product. To be clear and STEELMAN the argument for strings, it *is* a remarkable framework. It is REAL math. It teaches us things no other framework has. But, it *destroyed* the culture of honest physics." (February 2, 2023).<ref>[https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1621054190691975168 February 2, 2023]</ref>
* "We spent almost 80% of this time being told that ST was a 'Piece of 21st Century Physics that fell into the 20th Century.' Uh. Bullshit. That is an excuse. It's not clear that it's physics at all. It's a 'Failed piece of 20th Century Physics still hanging around in the 21stC'." (February 2, 2023).<ref>[https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1621054193426661376 February 2, 2023]</ref>
* "We need to spend perhaps 5yrs asking 'If the leaders have not succeeded for FIVE DECADES in moving beyond the [Standard Model], then why are they leading this field and directing the resources, research, and path forward? What if we listened to those who the leadership push aside?'" (February 2, 2023).<ref>[https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1621054201957847040 February 2, 2023]</ref>
* "And then the massive massive massive screw up was allowing the totalizing madness of [“Quantum Gravity”] to take over HEP-TH as if it were [[The Only Game in Town (TOGIT)|“The Only Game In Town”]] and letting its leadership brainwash the up and coming talent into believing that there was one true path. Totally insane." (October 7, 2025).<ref>[https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1975659241781575728 October 7, 2025]</ref>

He calls for reforms: "I’d propose total reassessment of the National Physics program. Much greater autonomy for theorists. *Much* higher salaries. Much greater *diversity* of approaches. More high precision work. Fewer graduate programs. Physics = economic/security priority. Admit [[String Theory|String Thy]] failure." (April 22, 2021).<ref>[https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1385263862698577922 April 22, 2021]</ref>