BBC Focus Magazine

[scott fairbrass]

will science ever get to a point were it becomes obsolite because it as discoverd and invented everthing possible?

[...]

no

[M Paul Lloyd]

Oh................I think I'd say maybe?

After all we don't know what limits eternity might hold. Possibly?

[Shadowwolf]

Depends, in a finite verse it might be possible to eventually discover all that there is to be known to us given enough time.

In an infinite verse or space where we know there is something beyond the confines of our verse then no, I don't think we could ever say that science is done we now know everything.

[scott fairbrass]

Depends, in a finite verse it might be possible to eventually discover all that there is to be known to us given enough time.

In an infinite verse or space where we know there is something beyond the confines of our verse then no, I don't think we could ever say that science is done we now know everything.

even in an infinate universe wouldnt all the laws of physics b the same so there wouldn't b anything new to learn?

[M Paul Lloyd]

I can see where you are going Scott, but although the best shape for a wheel is round and any attempt to re-invent it will inevitably end up with a round wheel, science has a habit of creating several news problems every time we thing we have answered something so I'm banking on the likelihood that even when we thing we have solved everything something will still vex us.

We just don't have the ability to grasp the complexity of it yet.

[Shadowwolf]

They're the same in this verse but take Newton's era when he created Newtonian physics, explained a lot and worked very well but there was a lot more still to be discovered like quantum physics and we have a lot of physics still to unveil. Like Mr M says, one discovery throws up many more questions.

[scott fairbrass]

so wot your saying is that the laws of physics works for us now but in 'x' amount of years they may b redundent because of other discoveries and so on?

[Shadowwolf]

In a way yes and no. Newtonian physics - or Classic physics as I think it's also called - is accurate and works perfectly well for big things but breaks down at the sub-atomic scale whilst quantum physics work at those small scales and are no good at the macro-scale. So both work and both are valid but there is clearly more there, hence why they seek a theory that works at all scales.

[Jamie]

Infinity is a funny concept. In theory if the universe is indeed infinite then there will be all possible kinds of physical laws existing somewhere in it. Lightspeed may well be 4mph in some far flung corner of eternity.