Prof. Robert Crease’s review in Physics World of my book “The Ant Mill” contains false and grossly misleading quotations and other falsehoods, which are so serious that they necessitate a response Under normal circumstances, I would never comment on a review of one of my books. People are entitled to have their opinions and to…Read more Concerning Prof. Robert P. Crease’s use of false quotations in his review of my book “The Ant Mill”
THE ANT MILL — how theoretical high-energy physics descended into groupthink, tribalism, and mass production of research
I have written a new book about the sociology of hep-th. The field is in crisis: no major breakthrough in 50 years and yet a remarkable absence of conceptually new ideas. This calls for an explanation. Here is a paradox: the research field of hep-th has on the one hand not produced any major breakthrough…Read more THE ANT MILL — how theoretical high-energy physics descended into groupthink, tribalism, and mass production of research
Does the standard model originate from the mathematics of empty space?
We have a new paper on the arXiv, in which we link the spectral formulation of the standard model to a candidate for a fundamental theory based on the geometry of a configuration space. JESPER MØLLER GRIMSTRUP APR 07, 2025 Together with the mathematician Johannes Aastrup I have just posted a new paper on the arXiv,…Read more Does the standard model originate from the mathematics of empty space?
The sociology of theoretical high-energy physics
Together with physicist and data analyst Jarl Sidelmann I have just posted a bibliometrical study of hep-th on the arXiv. In this post I will explain what we did and what we have found. In a new bibliometrical study we show that the levels of competition for survival in theoretical high-energy physics has increased dramatically during…Read more The sociology of theoretical high-energy physics
A new framework of unification
We have a new paper on the arXiv today in which we present a novel framework of unification in high-energy physics. In this newsletter I will give a non-technical presentation of our results Happy new year everyone! Johannes and myself have just posted a new paper on the arXiv in which we present a new framework of…Read more A new framework of unification
Newsletter 8/10 2024
Hi everyone, It’s finally time for a newsletter. Johannes and myself have just posted two new papers on the archive (you can find one here, the other one will appear in a few days. I’ll attach both of them to this newsletter). In these two papers we present a very simple and somewhat surprising result…Read more Newsletter 8/10 2024
Update to newsletter no. 11
Hi everyone, there has been a new development in my research project with Johannes Aastrup since I sent you my latest newsletter last month. It turns out that the core elements of Einsteins theory of general relativity emerge from our construction, something that Johannes and myself did not realise until a few weeks ago. In…Read more Update to newsletter no. 11
Newsletter No. 11
13.09.2023 Hi everyone, it’s finally time for a newsletter. I spent the last two weeks in Hannover, Germany, working with Johannes, and today we posted a new paper on the archive. We have made some significant progress and in this newsletter I would like to explain in a non-technical manner what we have found. Our…Read more Newsletter No. 11
Newsletter No. 10
05.04.2021 Hi everyone, it’s time for a newsletter. A few things have happened since my last newsletter, both concerning my work with Johannes Aastrup and concerning other things. In the following I will try to cover it all. Also, I am going to write something about our research from a birds eye perspective: the broad…Read more Newsletter No. 10
The Metric Nature of Matter
In a recent series of papers [1-3], we have discovered a connection between non-perturbative quantum field theory and the (noncommutative) geometry of configuration spaces. In this post, which has also been published on the noncommutative geometry blog, we would like to outline our findings in a non-technical manner intended for readers, who are familiar with…Read more The Metric Nature of Matter
Newsletter No. 9
Hi everyone, Johannes and I have just uploaded a new paper to the archive. This is without any doubt the most important paper that we have published in our careers; I feel very strongly about it. It is clear to me that our project has reached a milestone: what was hitherto an ambitious project with…Read more Newsletter No. 9
Newsletter No. 8
29.02.2020 Hi everyone Its time for a newsletter. I’ve got some good news — Johannes and I are making strong progress on the “fermion problem” that I described to you in my last letter. We are now in the process of writing down, double-checking and polishing our analysis and thus I am not ready to…Read more Newsletter No. 8
WHY CROWDFUNDING?
— “Why are you not employed at a university?” — “Why are you financed by crowdfunding and private sponsors instead of research foundations and universities?” These are questions that I am sometimes asked. I work full-time as a researcher in theoretical physics, I publish in some of the best journals worldwide in theoretical and mathematical…Read more WHY CROWDFUNDING?
Newsletter No. 7
- for the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign A THEORY OF EVERYTHING 03.10.2019 Hi everyone! Johannes and I have just posted a new preprint on the archive and therefore I would like to write a newsletter and explain to you what we have found. Things are looking very promising at the moment. We have spent a long…Read more Newsletter No. 7
LOCALITY AND ITS DISCONTENTS
One of the key principles behind the two fundamental theories, that scientists discovered in the 20th century — the standard model of particle physics and the theory of general relativity — is locality. Local interactions, local degrees of freedom, local field theories. This is what I would like to discuss now. What is locality? Before…Read more LOCALITY AND ITS DISCONTENTS
Newsletter No. 6
Newsletter - for the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign A THEORY OF EVERYTHING 18.05.2019 Hi everyone! Its time for a newsletter. Since I wrote the last newsletter a few interesting things have happened. First of all, my book is scheduled to be published in Denmark this spring — I’ll write more about this in the following —…Read more Newsletter No. 6
Quantum or classical: which is primary?
In the following I would like to discuss this question: when we search for a fundamental theory, what relationship should there be between the quantum and the classical? Or put differently: which one is primary, the classical or the quantum? The operational arrows of quantum vs. classical Let me try to explain these questions by…Read more Quantum or classical: which is primary?
Why we must act on climate change
[This is an Op-Ed, that I submitted in January 2019 to a couple of major Australian Newspapers. The reason for that was that the danish political scientist Bjørn Lomborg had published a piece on climate change in a major Australian newspaper. I felt that the fact that Lomborg published his views on climate change on…Read more Why we must act on climate change
I will never fly again
With all the knowledge that I have about global warming and with what I see happening around the world — extreme weather, downpours, droughts, heatwaves, superstorms — I now believe that the situation is so serious and urgent that I no longer can defend flying. Thus I will stop doing so. I am deeply worried…Read more I will never fly again
YOUNG RESEARCHERS: GO ROGUE
The noble art of gold digging I sometimes think of fundamental research in terms of the noble art of gold digging. When you dig for gold you need two basic skillsets. First of all, you need to be able to find the right place to dig. And secondly there is the digging itself. And those,…Read more YOUNG RESEARCHERS: GO ROGUE
Noncommutative Geometry and the Standard Model of Particle Physics
In the following I will discuss what I consider the most fascinating and intriguing development in theoretical high-energy physics in the past some forty years, namely the research field known as noncommutative geometry. The core business of noncommutative geometry, which is pioneered by the french mathematician and field medalist Alain Connes, is is to produce…Read more Noncommutative Geometry and the Standard Model of Particle Physics
A final theory from empty space
In the following I am going to discuss the theory, which I have developed with the mathematician Johannes Aastrup over the past some 15 years. This work is rather technical and involves several different fields in contemporary theoretical physics as well as new conceptual ideas rooted in modern mathematics. In this piece I am going…Read more A final theory from empty space
The search for a final theory
— what are we looking for? One of the main reasons for me to write this blog is that I would like to write about my work with the mathematician Johannes Aastrup. Over the past some 15 years we have developed a candidate for a fundamental theory, a final theory. But before I write about…Read more The search for a final theory
Welcome!
Welcome to my new blog! In 2016 when I ran a crowdfunding campaign together with my colleague, the mathematician Johannes Aastrup, to generate funding for our research project in mathematical and theoretical physics, I started writing biannual newsletters to the backers of the campaign to let them know about our work — how far we…Read more Welcome!
My work with Johannes Aastrup
I have made a video, where I discuss my work with Johannes Aastrup. This video is primarily intended for a broad audience - everyone! - but its also a "thank you!" to all those who backed my crowdfunding campaign in 2016. I hope that you with this video will get a better idea about where…Read more My work with Johannes Aastrup
Newsletter No. 5
- for the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign A THEORY OF EVERYTHING 29.09.2018 Hi everyone! Its time for a newsletter. As I write this Johannes and I have just uploaded a new paper on our quantum holonomy theory to the archive (an online physics database) where it will be publicly available Monday. I have attached the paper…Read more Newsletter No. 5
Newsletter No. 4
- for the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign A THEORY OF EVERYTHING 21.06.2018 Hi everyone, its summer in Denmark (presumably this is the case in most of the northern hemisphere!) and thus I think its time for a newsletter to let you know how things are going with our research project and everything related hereto. The past…Read more Newsletter No. 4
Newsletter No. 3
- for the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign A THEORY OF EVERYTHING Cadiz, Spain 24.12.2017 Hi everyone, merry christmas! A few days ago Johannes and I posted a new preprint on the archive. In this preprint we analyse the question, which I also discussed in my last newsletter to you, namely whether our quantum theory has a…Read more Newsletter No. 3
Newsletter No. 2 (part B)
- for the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign A THEORY OF EVERYTHING Cadiz, Spain 12.09.17 Hi everyone, its finally time to complete the newsletter, that I started with a “part A” earlier this summer. Johannes and I have just posted two preprints on the archive, where we present a proof that our quantum holonomy theory exist in…Read more Newsletter No. 2 (part B)
Newsletter No. 2 (part A)
- for the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign A THEORY OF EVERYTHING 27.06.2017 Copenhagen, Denmark Dear all, welcome to the second newsletter of the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign “A Theory of Everything”. I intend to write this newsletter relatively short. The reason for this is that Johannes and I are at the moment involved in some technical analysis,…Read more Newsletter No. 2 (part A)
Newsletter No. 1
- for the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign A THEORY OF EVERYTHING 28.11.2016 Copenhagen, Denmark Dear all, welcome to my first newsletter. I wish to begin this newsletter by thanking you all for participating in and contributing to our crowdfunding campaign and our work. I know that most of you do not understand the details of our…Read more Newsletter No. 1
Jesper møller grimstrup 