History of science & scientific method

The theory of games as explained by John von Neumann introduced new dimensions to the scientific field of probability and its applications

And it is after this long, serpentine and complex journey that we have finally arrived at the era of the internet with, however, the caveat that the fundamental issue of unifying all scientific theories, namely the Theory of Everything, by discovering a method of unification of gravitational and electro magnetrons remained answered, the work of Bob Witter and other in the field of string theory notwithstanding.

The recent discovery of the Higg’s Boson (the so-called God’s particle) gravitational waves and of is perhaps getting is there after all.

Finally, we appear to have reached the stage at which, it has been claimed, apparently with convincing justification, that the end will soon be reached of useful scientific enquiry. In a startling presentation at the University of Cambridge Professor Harry Cliff made many spectacular observations.

It has of course, always been known that a considerable part of the universe we inhabit is beyond observation, given the limitation of the human faculties and the current and expected levels of technology. And out of the rest of the universe, we have so far managed to observe.

Small portion in other words, there will always be some knowledge which will remain beyond the pale of the capacity of human beings to observe by employing the tools of science and technology. But Cliff’s Theory really opens up a new and exciting realm of scientific thought!

The main difference between the special and general theories was the introduction of gravitation to the space-time universe of the special variety. The two theories is transformed our understanding of the universe.

The question now is “can we continue to increase our understanding of nature, or will a time come when we have to face questions which we know we cannot answer” – not for want of technology but because the laws of physics forbid it?

The basic issue is why something is happening rather than nothing.

There are two dangerous numbers to be understood in this context.

The first one is the value of the Higg’s Boson field which, when compared to a light switch, has a value which is just less than the “off” position. If it were only a little stronger, or a little weaker, the universe as we know it would not exist. It is also strange why no new particles are being created.

The other dangerous number, in the context of the very large universe, rather than the micro cosmos, is the value of the so-called ‘dark energy’ which is preventing the universe from collapsing upon itself on account of gravity. Its value is estimated at 10120 times stronger than what our normal understanding of the universe, as formed by a study of astrophysics suggests.

In other words, we live in a “Goldilocks" universe, and will probably never know why it is so finely tuned. Even the 10 to 500 string theories known, which have been denounced as unscientific as there is no is disprovability, do not explain why the value of these dangerous numbers are what they are.

Even the theories of super symmetry and of a large number of dimensions have failed in this context. In other words, in a few years from now, we may have to reconcile ourselves to the conclusion that we will never find answers to certain fundamental questions which we are facing.