A Paradigm Reflection on Special Relativity and the Dilemma of Speculative Thinking in Contemporary Physics

Lorentz derived the complete mathematical formulation of the Lorentztransformation, yet remained confined by conventional ideas of ether and absolute spacetime and failed to break free from the established theoretical framework. Einstein took a decisive step toward theoretical innovation and possessed undeniable pioneering historical value. Nevertheless, his deductions exceeded the scope supported by observational evidence available at that time. Overextended reasoning gave rise to inferences including length contraction, relativistic mass, spacetime curvature and cosmic singularities. Restricted by limited observational equipment and detection dimensions a century ago, early observational samples only yielded superficial agreement with relativity. With comprehensive advances in modern deepsky surveys, highenergy collision experiments and blackhole imaging, numerous measured phenomena cannot be explained consistently within this theoretical system, generating mutuallyexclusive logical contradictions. Only three fundamental forces exist in the universe: gravity, electromagnetism and the strong nuclear force. Gravity and the strong force act exclusively on massive matter, while electromagnetism acts only upon charged particles. Photons are massless and uncharged; none of the three fundamental forces can drag, accelerate or decelerate free photons. No physical mechanism can compress the intrinsic size of matter merely through relative motion. The spacetimegeometric hypothesis of relativity is intrinsically incompatible with the underlying operating rules of the three fundamental forces. Socalled length contraction is merely a computational artifact produced by customdefined measurement rules, analogous to the visual illusion that distant objects appear smaller, and does not represent real physical shrinkage of material entities. Solid objects maintain fixed intrinsic dimensions stabilized by strongforce and electromagnetic interactions. This paper adopts the Primordial Photon Theory: highenergy photons selflock via the strong force to form three fundamental particles, namely protons, neutrons and electrons. All macroscopic matter is composed of these three particles, and all arguments in this paper are built upon this material system. In vacuum, photons always propagate at constant lightspeed. The reduced lightspeed observed inside media is merely a macroscopic illusion; the intrinsic velocity of individual photons never changes. While travelling through media, photons are repeatedly temporarily absorbed and reemitted by medium particles. Detoured propagation paths prolong total transit time and create the impression of slower lightspeed. Photons lose luminal velocity only when absorbed and converted into material particles. As long as they remain in photon form, their propagation speed stays constant and cannot be altered by any physical agent. The core of scientific progress lies in evidencebased reflection and iterative revision, rather than groundless speculation. Doubt must be supported by complete arguments derived from observational facts and underlying logic. Skepticism gains research value only when contradictions are widely acknowledged within the physics community and cannot be reasonably resolved by existing theories. Fundamental physical facts repeatedly verified by massive experiments possess stable objective authenticity and cannot be arbitrarily rejected. Systematic review and criticism are meaningful only for stagedependent theories suffering persistent observational conflicts and fundamental logical fractures. No theoretical model can perfectly match all observational scenarios forever. Metascientific statistics over long timescales indicate that most highimpact publications appearing in top journals are not products of academic fraud. Nevertheless, they are largely local, stagedependent patchwork studies without fundamental paradigmbreaking innovation. Most research finetunes parameters and revises numerical values within the old paradigm, shifting outcomes from approximate misfit toward marginal improvement, for instance adjusting an equation result from five to six. Such minor numerical optimization never touches underlying axioms and core defects of the theory. These patchwork results fit observations only within narrow experimental windows and temporarily mend superficial data conflicts. Once observational precision improves or detection ranges expand, such conclusions break down. Many highlycited topjournal conclusions from ten years ago are no longer valid. Local fitting and minor revision cannot fix systemic root flaws. Superficially updated results merely postpone theoretical crises and even indirectly reveal inherent irreconcilable defects inside the dominant paradigm. Nowadays a rigid academic paradigm prevails within fundamental physics, and relativity is treated as unchallengeable orthodoxy. Large quantities of research are carried out within this framework. Whenever observational data conflict with theoretical predictions, scholars tend to introduce auxiliary hypotheses such as dark matter, dark energy and the cosmological constant to patch discrepancies, and seldom perform systematic reexamination of underlying premises. The discipline gradually loses vitality for critical thinking and drifts toward closed dogmatism. Many theoretical systems construct closed logical loops using selfinvented terminology and obscure basic common sense. Learners must accept the whole conceptual system to comprehend texts and are easily trapped by preset logic, losing the ability to distinguish right from wrong. This paper differentiates objective observational facts from manmade ontological hypotheses, compares two interpretative frameworks for the constancy of lightspeed, analyzes interaction boundaries between three fundamental forces and photons under the Primordial Photon Theory, clarifies inherent logical flaws of lengthcontraction and singularity inferences, and discusses developmental obstacles caused by paradigm solidification and selfcreated conceptual systems.