I hadn’t wanted to say anything about Dennis Overbye’s recent article in the Times, The Collider, the Particle, and a Theory About Fate, but it has come up so frequently in the past 2 days that I now think I should (especially since it was just noticed by someone at The New Yorker). I will preface my remarks by saying that Dennis Overbye is a knowledgeable writer who I have long admired, and whose books I have read more than once, but who, for whatever reason, has been lately writing some rather outlandish articles on physics for the Times. For those of you who have heard me lament the state of science journalism, this article is an unfortunate example of reporting–try to find the supporting or dissenting voices in the piece, they are buried beneath mounds of hyperbole and authorial voice–and the poorest kind of science writing, where hype reigns over reason. This sort of over-excitement about what is essentially a crackpot idea is simply not a fair account of what physics is, what physicists do, and what physicists believe. For a far better take on the idea mentioned in the article, from an actual physicist, from 2 years ago, (a post which, admittedly, is linked to in the Overbye article though is not given its proper authority) see here. I don’t think Overbye is doing either himself or physics any favors by writing an article about such obvious foolishness. I only say this because I know he can do much better.