The Opinion column by Michael Riordan was thoroughly enjoyable. I agree with his overall view, with only one or two exceptions. He says that “good experimenters are irredeemable skeptics who thoroughly enjoy refuting the more speculative ideas of their theoretical colleagues.” True, but the history of physics abounds with stories of bad experimenters who got self-duped while trying to confirm their own pet theories. Also, I have another model for the term “Platonic physics.” Rather than Riordan’s philosophical view, I go by the much more pedestrian idea of Platonic love. In both Platonic physics and Platonic love, the two parties never really meet the way that they should!
© 2003 American Institute of Physics.
2003
American Institute of Physics
