Title : Where is modern physics heading? Why constants of nature matter
Abstract:
In contemporary physics, proposals for Theories of Everything and grand unifications are abundant, yet many researchers speak openly of a crisis in fundamental physics: despite enormous mathematical sophistication, genuine conceptual progress seems elusive. History offers a surprisingly clear criterion for judging such progress. From Newton to Einstein, scientific revolutions were consistently marked by the explanation and elimination of constants of nature rather than by adding new parameters. This talk argues that fundamental constants provide the most objective measure of advancement in physics. Constants are not mere inputs or conversion factors, but nature’s unanswered questions: why this value and not another? Revolutionary progress typically follows a three-step pattern: a conceptual vision, a mathematical formalism, and the reduction of independent constants. At the same time, the rise of artificial intelligence may change how physics itself is done. While AI can generate formal structures with remarkable speed, constants of nature may provide the clearest benchmark for judging whether this leads to genuine understanding. The presentation discusses which constants still demand explanation—and whether their persistence reveals where modern physics should be heading.
