Mathematicians just solved a 125-year-old problem, uniting 3 theories in physics

10 hours ago (scientificamerican.com)

It's interesting how so many important papers are always on arxiv first. it makes me wonder what purpose peer reviews serves. I think also, this is to help establish priority over the result. So getting it up on arxiv is like a timestamp to avoid someone else deriving it at the same time and getting credit by having it published first.

  • Peer review is important for checking the correctness of the results, among other things. It's not uncommon to find big errors; small mistakes are everywhere.

    • Peer review is of utmost importance. Any researcher can make mistakes. I can read papers and apply them, but I need expert opinion to trust the papers. I am not skilled enough in any but my specialties.

      I do see papers with outlandish claims and very weak support. This kind of excessively bold statement I see in many papers is a red flag for me.

    • Its easier to tear down than build up. Resilient structures are tested structures and last the longest.

  • The purpose of the (pre-print) arChive is to allow for a wider circulation during review. That many today simply leave their stuff on Arxiv without publishing is arguably a bit of “cargoculting”, as it signals legitimacy without any quality control.

The article does a wonderful job in providing context for the proof.

I really enjoyed the clear descriptions of the three scales.