Are there other renowned physicists who believe in evolving laws of physics?

In summary, Lee Smolin proposed in the 90's that laws of nature may evolve and change over time, with the possibility that even the most fundamental laws can evolve. Other renowned physicists, such as John Wheeler and Paul Dirac, have also proposed similar ideas, with examples such as the Dirac large numbers hypothesis and Bohmian mechanics. However, these theories are still highly speculative.
  • #1
Suekdccia
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TL;DR Summary
Examples of physicists who have proposed that laws of nature are dynamical and evolve/change over time?
The Canadian physicist, Lee Smolin proposed in the 90's that laws of nature may evolve and change over time. He begun proposing that only the constants of nature would evolve, while the most fundamental laws would remain the same, but recently he has change a little bit his ideas and has proposed that even the most fundamental laws may evolve over time.

I think this is a pretty interesting "model" of the universe, even if it is evidently very speculative.

I was wondering if there are more well-renowned physicists who, like Smolin, or John Wheeler with his cosmological cyclic model, have proposed that laws of physics may evolve and change with time? Do you know about any other examples?
 
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  • #3
Bohmian mechanics can be interpreted that way. The wave function evolves by the Schrodinger equation, but, according to the Bohmian interpretation, the only role of the wave function is to define laws for the motion of pointlike particles.
 

FAQ: Are there other renowned physicists who believe in evolving laws of physics?

Are there other renowned physicists who believe in evolving laws of physics?

Yes, there are several renowned physicists who have explored the idea that the laws of physics may evolve over time. Notable among them is Lee Smolin, who has written extensively on this topic. Others, like John Archibald Wheeler, have also entertained similar concepts, suggesting that the laws of physics could be emergent or subject to change.

What evidence supports the idea of evolving laws of physics?

The concept of evolving laws of physics is largely theoretical and speculative at this stage. Some arguments in favor come from the fields of cosmology and quantum mechanics, where certain observations suggest that constants and laws could have been different in the early universe. However, these ideas are not universally accepted and remain a topic of ongoing research and debate.

How does the idea of evolving laws of physics impact our understanding of the universe?

If the laws of physics can evolve, it would significantly alter our understanding of the universe. It would imply that what we consider to be fundamental constants and principles might not be immutable. This could open up new avenues for explaining phenomena that current physics cannot fully account for, such as the nature of dark matter and dark energy.

Are there any experiments that can test the hypothesis of evolving laws of physics?

Currently, there are no direct experiments that can conclusively test the hypothesis of evolving laws of physics. However, researchers are looking at cosmological data, such as the cosmic microwave background radiation, and other astrophysical observations to find indirect evidence. Advances in high-energy physics and quantum gravity may also provide insights in the future.

What are the criticisms of the idea that the laws of physics can evolve?

Critics argue that the idea of evolving laws of physics lacks empirical evidence and is highly speculative. They contend that the current framework of physics, based on fixed laws and constants, has been extremely successful in explaining a wide range of phenomena. Additionally, the concept challenges the notion of universality and consistency that is foundational to scientific inquiry.

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