The very way in which the equations of the Standard Model make predictions about the world is also absurdly convoluted. Used directly, these equations lead to nonsensical predictions where each calculated quantity turns out to be infinitely large. To get meaningful results, it is necessary to imagine that the parameters entering into them are themselves infinitely large, in order to counterbalance the absurd results and make them reasonable. This convoluted and baroque procedure is given the technical term “renormalization.” It works in practice but leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of anyone
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