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"Science Set Free From Truth," by John Horgan. Editorial, New York Times, 16 July 1996.
"Don't Pull the String on String Theory," by Alan Sokal. Letter to the Editor, New York Times, 22 July 1996.
John Horgan's editorial describes his notion of "ironic science"---theories that are impossible to test directly. The example he gives is string theory, which asserts that matter is made up of tiny vibrating strings. String theory is "ironic" because verifying the existence of these strings is a practical impossibility. Ironic science, Horgan writes, "cannot give us the truth." He makes reference to an article written by physicist Alan Sokal and published in a sociology journal in May 1996. Sokal wrote the article as a hoax to ridicule views about science currently popular in sociology and related fields. The article stated that string theory might help to liberate scientists from "dependence on the concept of objective truth." While acknowledging that the Sokal article was a hoax, Horgan believes this statement has some validity. In a Letter to the Editor written in response to this editorial, Sokal explains that string theory is an attempt to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity. Although a direct experimental test of string theory is impossible, he points out, it should not be rejected on "spurious philosophical grounds."
-Allyn Jackson
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