Mrebo said:
I don't think we (the common people) are supposed to understand this, but I would like to believe it's mind-blowingly fascinating.
What stands out to me is the quote, "You can easily do, on paper, computations that were infeasible even with a computer before."
And, "The new geometric version of quantum field theory could also facilitate the search for a theory of quantum gravity that would seamlessly connect the large- and small-scale pictures of the universe."
The idea that a practically impossible problem might suddenly by solved by looking at it in a different way, perhaps using a relatively simple tool, does have broader applicability.
I neither fully understand relativity or quantum theory, but the two are so disjointed that scientists have been grasping for years to try to find a theory (always very complex) that would actually tie them together. This sounds like the beginning of finding such a theory, and much simpler and complete.
Tangentially-related is this take on addressing the often recognized mental health issues behind mass shootings that have occurred. That's a problem that I think most shrug their shoulders at, not knowing exactly how we can address it. And there are civil liberty concerns for drugging/institutionalizing people for mental health issues. Charles Krauthammer poses a good question in response:
I know the civil libertarian arguments. I know that involuntary commitment is outright paternalism. But paternalism is essential for children because they don’t have a fully developed rational will. Do you think Alexis was in command of his will that night in Newport?
Any thoughts, ender?
My thoughts are thus: that the compassionate de-institutionalization of the mentally ill has been poorly handled. This supposedly compassionate move has instead been a shift, as now the jail system serves essentially the same function, as the mentally ill often end up in jail where they receive all the same treatment they were getting before. I have worked with people who were forcibly placed in medical care for a time, and though I understand that it seems unjust to take another's free will, there really are times where the safety of the person and the public are of greater concern than personal liberty. The person's own debilitating symptoms are a prison, and medical treatment is a release. It must be used with care or it can be abused, but it is a necessary evil that we must not be afraid to use.