The success of Einstein’s Special and General Theories of Relativity brought theoretical physics into the public spotlight and elevated its status as a “glamour” subject. As Einstein and others sought to unify Quantum Physics with the gravitational forces in General Relativity, there was considerable optimism that the secret mechanisms of the universe would soon be revealed.
As quantum physics advanced, it became evident that the microcosm of elementary particles behaved differently from matter in our macroscopic world. This fact that Feynman called “quantum weirdness,” forced theoretical physics into deeper mathematical models to unify the microcosm with the macrocosm. The prediction of black holes and the Higgs boson that were finally observed, provided encouragement for some of the models. For a while, it looked like string theory, in which Edward Witten played a developmental role, might be the theory that would provide a mathematical model of the quantum world.
However, further observations generated problems that prompted physicist to search for alternative models. Testing the models became more difficult and more expensive, bringing theoretical physics to a temporary stall.
In his comments accessible at: https://qr.ae/pyQLz, Dave provides an interesting perspective on the details of this evolution in theoretical physics.
