Scientific Methodology: A View from Early String Theory

TL;DR

This paper examines whether early string theory's development followed scientific methodology similar to the Standard Model, arguing that its foundational period aligns with accepted scientific practices through historical analysis.

Contribution

It provides a historical perspective showing that the early development of string theory adhered to scientific methodology comparable to other successful theories.

Findings

Early string theory's development was methodologically similar to the Standard Model.

The foundational period of string theory involved scientific reasoning consistent with accepted practices.

No fundamental change in scientific methodology is observed in the early stages of string theory.

Abstract

This paper addresses the question as to whether the methodology followed in building and assessing string theory can be considered scientific in the same sense, say, that the methodology followed in building and assessing the Standard Model of particle physics is scientific, by focussing on the "founding" period of the theory. More precisely, its aim is to argue for a positive answer to the above question (there is no real change of scientific status in the way of proceeding and reasoning in fundamental physical research) in the light of a historical analysis of the early developments of the string theoretical framework.