Besides magnetic monopoles, what else doesn’t exist?

[Maximum7]

TL;DR Summary

Trying to make a list of all the things in physics that probably don’t exist

I’m trying to keep a master list of all the theoretical “things” in physics that were once postulated to exist but probably don’t, like magnetic monopoles. Could anyone help me out?

 

[Frabjous]

Aether.

 

[Lord Jestocost]

TL;DR Summary: Trying to make a list of all the things in physics that probably don’t exist

I’m trying to keep a master list of all the theoretical “things” in physics that were once postulated to exist but probably don’t, like magnetic monopoles. Could anyone help me out?

Perhaps, the following Wikipedia entries might be of help:

List of experimental errors and frauds in physics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_experimental_errors_and_frauds_in_physics

List of topics characterized as pseudoscience
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience

Pathological science
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathological_science

 

[sophiecentaur]

@Lord Jestocost : Three great lists but you can be such a spoilsport at times.

 

[Dale]

I like ultra-mundane corpuscles and phlogiston.

 

[Baluncore]

Conventional current in metal conductors.
Friction between hailstones (Graupel), causing atmospheric electrification.
Tectonic subduction zones.

 

[tech99]

With great temerity, may I suggest Huygens' Wavelets as not actually existing?

 

[Andy Resnick]

Perhaps, the following Wikipedia entries might be of help:

List of experimental errors and frauds in physics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_experimental_errors_and_frauds_in_physics

List of topics characterized as pseudoscience
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience

Pathological science
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathological_science

Good lists, but missing from them is the "work" of Eugene Podkletnov/Ning Li/Doug Torr claiming gravity shielding/gravitomagnetics/anti-gravity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ning_Li_(physicist)

I had the misfortune of having to sit through a few seminars by Li and Torr in grad school.....

 

[pines-demon]

I understood that OP wanted things that could exists but have not been disproved, like caloric rays or something like that.

• Cosmic strings are a big one.
• CMB B-modes
• Room-temperature superconductors
• Hawking points
• Hawking radiation
• Primordial black holes
• White holes, wormholes
• Planet 9
• Extraterrestrial life
• Right-handed neutrinos
• Fault-tolerant quantum computers
• True Majorana zero modes
• True non-Abelian anyons
• Nuclear island of stability

 

[Dale]

I understood that OP wanted things that ...

I don't think it matters too much. The OP is not participating

 

[sophiecentaur]

may I suggest Huygens' Wavelets as not actually existing?

More of a model in non-symbolic mathematics. There are always the questions "yes but what exactly is it?" - "what is it in physical terms? etc." when actually everything could be looked on as partly virtual.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Yes, the OP seems to have declined to follow-up. Some call these threads "stink bombs" - the OP posts what he thinks is a controversial start and then runs away to watch the reaction.

I think the real problem here is that he wants a complete list. That puts us into the "read my mind" position. "Moon men!" "I'm not talking about that". "Vampires!" "No I'm not talking about that either." And so it goes.

That is a game that is fun for zero or one of us.

There probably is a better-defined and discussable question. But this isn't it.

 

[berkeman]

Yes, the OP seems to have declined to follow-up. Some call these threads "stink bombs" - the OP posts what he thinks is a controversial start and then runs away to watch the reaction.

Whelp, the OP earned a gentle drive-by stinkbomb infraction but that added to their numerous previous infractions to ban them. Thread is closed.