[rusk]

Anybody think physics is starting to plateau? We had huge advances in the 20th century, I think driven in part by it's virtuous symbiosis with technology. The bleeding edge is however becoming ever more specialised and obscure and the experimental equipment necessary to generate new proofs is becoming increasingly expensive and cumbersome. Quantum Mechanics provides a wonderful set of tools for so many natural phenomena beyond mere subatomic particles. But - it's so far removed from the everyday now. What next for popular science?

[eigenspace]

Particle physics is not all of physics.

Many areas of physics such as Condensed Matter Physics are in a golden age of wonderful interesting discoveries every year. In CMP, every material is like its own little universe with its own fundamental ‘particles’ and interactions. There are condensed matter systems that have Lorentz symmetry (ie special relativity) such as graphene, there are condensed matter systems with gauge symmetries and even supersymmetries.

The real advantage of CMP is that where particle physicists are stuck trying to describe the fundamental properties of our universe of which there is only one, condensed matter physicists are trying to describe the emergent properties of materials of which there is a mind-blowing variety. This means that if the condensed matter community is stuck and can’t make progress on material X, they can simply move to material Y and retain much of their expertise.

CMP is like doing particle physics with a multiverse, except that multiverse is real.

[westoncb]

I wonder if that process of learning each of the different material systems so well might lead to knew knowledge about patterns between materials not seen before, which could end up being knowledge of the more fundamental sort...

[sgillen]

I do think that the realm of experimental particle physics and astrophysics have sort of fallen behind the theory. It will take some new technology or breakthrough I think before we see more big strides in these fundamental areas.

As eigenspace pointed out though there is still a lot of good physics in more applied (or at least less fundamental domains). There are still a LOT of physicsal phenomena we don't understand fully that doesn't require a new fundamental theory of everything to make progress.