Originally Posted by
Grendel
Physics these days is shit because the hubris of physicists prevents them from flat-out admitting that our physical observational abilities are limited, and that all of quantum science and speculative shit like String Theory are built upon that.
The mathematics itself, on the other hand, is just another tool derived from principles we've taken from the universe, no less a piece of engineering than a bridge or an elevator. The best science really is that which directly gives us engineering principles. Even paleontology paints a sketchy picture because of things like lazarus taxa. We spend all this time and energy trying to work backwards, then at the last second, some unforeseen variable changes and our entire framework shifts. There's no forward-moving applicable results from this however, just petty philosophical questions about where we come from "answered" by only more questions. To an outside observer, the field indeed seems more like a powerful church with conveniently-changing doctrine than anything.
Meanwhile, we have the absolute dumpster fire that is medical science, where there are clear and present social problems caused by yet-uncurable medical conditions that might be treatable were our understanding of every bodily system more nuanced. But we can't get a complete understanding, dare I say, partially because of social taboos against some types of experimentation, and partially because of useless, irrelevant, unanswerable philosophical questions like "WHAT IS CONSCIOUSNESS?!!?? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN AND HAVE HUMAN RIGHTS, REALLY?!?" when we all know on some level, from a deterministic perspective, our senses and consciousness probably come from some physical source, free will is an illusion, and we only have rights because we all agree it's convenient for us. Meanwhile people continue to suffer horrible plagues and die needlessly of aging because we're too pussy to grow a few lab rat babies in tubes so we can do a couple tests for the greater good.
And don't get me started on the social sciences. Millions of taxpayer dollars funneled into useless sycophantic studies like "Are some lesbians fat??" "What races like pickles??" "What gender is your furniture??" Shit should be abolished.