TY - BOOK AU - Dardashti, Radin AU - Dawid, Richard AU - Thebault, Karim TI - Why trust a theory?: epistemology of fundamental physics SN - 9781108470957 U1 - 530.01 PY - 2019/// CY - Cambridge PB - Cambridge university press KW - Physics - Methodology KW - Science - Methodology N1 - Includes bibliographical references and index; Historical and conceptual background. Fundamental theories and epistemic shifts : can history of science serve as a guide? Scientific speculation : a pragmatic approach Assessing scientific theories Philosophy of science and the string wars : a view from the outside Theory assessment beyond empirical confirmation. The significance of non-empirical confirmation in fundamental physics The dangers of non-empirical confirmation No alternative to proliferation Physics without experiments? Scientific methodology : a view from early string theory What can we learn from analogue experiments? Are black holes about information? Cosmology and testability. The limits of cosmology The role of cosmology in modern physics Theory confirmation and multiverses Beyond falsifiability : normal science in a multiverse Gaining access to the early universe Prospects for confirmation in string theory. String theory to the rescue Why trust a theory? Some further remarks The dangerous irrelevance of string theory String/M-theories about our world are testable in the traditional physics way Is string phenomenology an oxymoron? N2 - This collection of essays stems from the prominent workshop 'Why Trust a Theory?' and offers interdisciplinary insights into empirical testing in fundamental physics from prominent physicists, philosophers, and historians of science. By integrating diverse contemporary and historical perspectives, it will appeal to philosophers of science, physicists, and anyone with an interest in the foundations of modern science ER -