Lost in Math by Sabine Hossenfelder

 

I read the book above. The central thesis is that experiments cost so much to build and take so many years to construct, that most ideas will not be able to hope for experimental verification. So what do we do then? Also, how do we choose which ideas to test when the funds are available? Sabine Hossenfelder suggests that what has happened is a retreat into mathematical aesthetics. Does the theory look simple and elegant? If so, it must be true. I think she's right to point out that the real world might not have to be simple and elegant.