Do physicists understand physics?

Question

All the sources of physics are created on abstract ideas:
inertial motion, inertial reference system, ideal gas,
absolute black body,
negative four-dimensional (Minkowski) space,
"a method of renormalization", etc.
===========================
1.
G. Galileo has shown that natural motion is ‘inertial’
but nobody knows what is ‘ inertial motion’.
2.
J. Maxwell aspired to explain electromagnetic processes from
mechanical point of view, using cogwheels and wheels.
3.
L, Boltzmann admired the equations of Maxwell and he tried
to improve Maxwell,s mechanical model.
4.
H. Hertz practically discovered electromagnetic waves
but he has declared in writing that the electromagnetic
waves have no practical importance.
Later, he wrote about the equation of Maxwell:
"…that they are wiser than we ourselves,
even wiser than their first-discovers…"
5.
"We did more than have understood".
/Rutherford/
6.
M. Planck almost for 20 years searched arguments
against his theory of the light quanta.
7.
"The more successes the quantum physics gains,
the more senseless it looks".
/Einstein/
8.
Everything is getting along, but the deep grounds remain unclear".
/Sommerfeld /
9.
"I think I can safely say that no one understands quantum mechanics".
/Feynman/
10.
What the fine structure constant ‘a’ means nobody knows
and on Feynman,s expression this quantity is
‘by the god given damnation to all physicists’.
11.
Robert Milliken told, that he knew nothing
about “last essence of electron”.
===================
What is situation now?

Answer 1

Try to remember this: Many an abstract concepts, mathematical objects, physical predictions, counter-intuitive propositions/ conclusions, and what-have-you's (e.g. parallel this, parallel that, 11-dimensional this, 10-dimensional that, wormhole here, white-hole everywhere) can fall out of a seemingly coherent and logically consistent theory, BUT the ultimate challenge of physics (the acid test of it all, if you will) is always EXPERIMENTAL. ... In other words, the proof is in the pudding, the rest is merely a fancy recipe on a piece of paper. ... And yet, you wouldn't wanna be venturing into the Amazonian rain-forest, in search of new discoveries, totally unprepared and without a guide of some sort (e.g. a reasonably reliable map, your GPS device, a native resident who knows his way around the jungle, etc.) would you now?

P.S. There is a tremendous body of high-level scholarly work available (including some very exciting new research) on Philosophy of Science (and specifically Philosophy of Physics and Quantum Reality) which you might be interested in looking into (that is over and beyond the immediate reach of layman expository works like The Elegant Universe and alike). Good Luck and make sure to keep the Dream of Wonder alive!

Answer 2

No they don't understand physics. Its all made up as they go along. Thats why they've never been able to do anything with Newtonian gravity, apart from navigate a few silly space shuttles for an unimportant moon landing. Quantum physics is total nonsense if you read about it and nothing will ever come of it, well not much more than has already, compact discs, computers, lasers, MRI's... Forgive the sarcasm...

Answer 3

Physics is a subjective science at best. At worst, it's no more "science" than examining the entrails of chickens to portend the future.

A physicist can only examine what he sees before him and then modify what he claims to be true to fit what he sees. If what he sees changes, he changes his claims of truth. By only parroting what he sees before him, he can't ever understand what truly lies behind anything.

Answer 4

They are learning more and more. But as we learn more we learn more questions along with answers. Does anyone really think they will have the answers to everything everywhere??? NO but they can have some answers to some questions. The trick is to make sure you're asking the right answers...

Answer 5

a physicist only knows what he studies, it is impossible for one man to understand everything that every physicist knows. As for physics, or any other study, you can only know so much that you actually need to know for a particular case or study, otherwise you are carrying unimportant information with you.

Answer 6

Unfortunately.. despite the above thesis.. the mushroom clouds over Hiroshima & Nagasaki spoke for them..

Answer 7

Well, Physicists are human(s) and Physics is a subject.
Subject denotes it's very essence and is not an absolute
in itself.