The Great Rift in Physics
History and Philosophy of Physics
2025-03-27 v1 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Quantum Physics
Abstract
It is commonly remarked that contemporary physics faces a challenge in reconciling quantum theory with Relativity, specifically General Relativity as a theory of gravity. But "challenge" is too mild a descriptor. Once one understands both what John Bell proved and what Einstein himself demanded of Relativity it becomes clear that the predictions of quantum theory, predictions that have been verified in the lab, are flatly incompatible with what Einstein wanted and built into General Relativity. There is not merely a tension but an incompatibility between the predictions of quantum theory and Relativity, and what has to give way is the Relativistic account of space-time structure and dynamics.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2503.20067,
title = {The Great Rift in Physics},
author = {Tim Maudlin},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2503.20067},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
28 pages, 4 figures