Clever Quote by Ian Hacking
“The stability of what's called the Standard Model of particle physics and its ability to make so many clever predictions with immense precision suggests that we may just be stuck with it, and there may never be an overthrow of that.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on Physics, 2015
The Standard Model is extremely successful, so we may be reluctant to replace it despite its limitations.
In simple terms: The model works well, so change seems unlikely.
Accept current limits while exploring alternatives.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- research funding
- academic curricula
- public policy
- technological development
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence would convince you to abandon the Standard Model?
- How does reliance on a model affect scientific creativity?
New discoveries could still challenge the model.