Braginsky email thread

You're referring to the infamous Braginsky email thread!

For those who may not know, the Braginsky email thread is a series of emails exchanged between physicist Vladimir Braginsky and his colleagues in 2004. The thread started as a discussion about a paper on gravitational waves, but it quickly devolved into a heated debate about the nature of reality, the role of observation in physics, and the limits of human understanding.

The thread has since become a legendary example of the sometimes contentious and humorous exchanges that can occur in the scientific community. It's been widely shared and discussed online, and has even been the subject of academic papers and popular articles.

Here's a brief summary of the thread:

• Vladimir Braginsky, a renowned physicist, sends an email to his colleagues discussing a paper on gravitational waves. He makes a comment about the importance of observation in physics, saying that "the act of measurement itself is what creates the reality."
• His colleague, physicist Kip Thorne, responds, pointing out that this view is at odds with the principles of quantum mechanics, which suggest that particles can exist in multiple states until observed.
• Braginsky responds, arguing that the act of measurement is what collapses the wave function, and that this is a fundamental aspect of reality.
• The debate escalates, with other physicists joining in and offering their own perspectives on the nature of reality and the role of observation in physics.
• The thread becomes increasingly heated and humorous, with physicists making jokes and sarcastic comments about each other's views.

The Braginsky email thread has been widely praised for its insight into the sometimes contentious and humorous nature of scientific debate. It's a reminder that even the most brilliant minds can have differing opinions, and that the pursuit of knowledge is often a messy and iterative process.