Most Theoretical Physicists Are Doing Engineering
The article discusses the blurred lines between theoretical physics and engineering, suggesting that many who identify as theoretical physicists are actually engaged in engineering tasks. It argues that true scientists analyze existing systems, while engineers design new ones, and that many current theoretical physics models lack empirical grounding. The author critiques the trend of treating engineered systems as scientific descriptions of reality, emphasizing the importance of ontology in physics.
- ▪Qian Xuesen's work in engineering cybernetics highlights the distinction between scientists and engineers.
- ▪The article claims that most theoretical physicists are engaged in engineering rather than true scientific inquiry.
- ▪It critiques the reliance on free parameters and symmetry extensions in theoretical physics without empirical support.
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Most Theoretical Physicists Are Doing Engineering Qian Xuesen, while under house arrest during the McCarthy era, wrote Engineering Cybernetics in 1954, drawing the line between a scientist and an engineer. The book was later incorporated deeply into Chinese missile and aerospace doctrine when he successfully returned to China to head the Fifth Academy of the National Defense Ministry (now CASC), and Pakistan’s reported 6:0 air-engagement result against India in May 2025, run on the KJ-500 + J-10C + PL-15 networked kill chain that Chinese systems engineering inherits directly from Qian, is one downstream receipt. The scientist analyses a system that exists. An engineer designs a system that does not. The two are different jobs with different success criteria.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Weblog.
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