"Waghorn" wrote in message
...
JPG agree entirely. String theory is a piece of elegant mathematics that
holds
the promise of scientifically uniting our theories of the universe. It can
be
tested in the sense that if nothing is found *experimentally* to contradict
it
then it has an excellent chance of being correct. That was the case with
quantum
mechanics and I have every faith that the physicists are on the right track.
...Will
Totally OT- but I hope people aren't gonna get the idea that Strings are the
only game in town.Loop
Quantum Gravity is a viable alternative TOE,even complementing ST in many
respects eg 'background
independence'.Looks like the programme is going be a big advert for ST.Other
physicists are
complaining that ST monopolises TOE research and pushes out alternative
ideas (in some respects
similar to Anthropogenic Global Warming research?)

In rapid climate change research, the hypothesis that is pushing all others
out is the one to be shown on Horizon. ie that the last stadial (minor
glaciation) was caused by a switching of the ocean currents. Philip and Mike
both expressed surprise when a paper was published last year showing that the
ocean currents do not have a large effect on western European climate. They
knew that already! Yet the oceanographers behind that program still believe
that rapid climate changes are caused by slow currents switching, not by a
violent climate system.

So the theory Horizon are putting forward is already flawed. But worse, their
argument is that the same will happen again from global warming. But if the
ocean currents stop, and the northern regions cool then the ice will reform in
the Arctic and the NADW generation will restart warming Europe. Reductio ad
absurdum. Lets face it, glaobal warming will not return Britain to an ice age!

HTH,

Cheers, Alastair.