Building on the shoulders….

One thing about science in general and biology specifically: progress is dependent on previously published results. Loose confidence in those and the whole thing is a house of cards. What’s remarkable to me is that for the life sciences, in general, the whole edifice is remarkably sturdy. The reason I have confidence in my mRNA-based vaccine is because ultimately, I accept the DNA-dogma and the constellation of results over the past 60-70 years that have supported it. In other words, the theory of how the vaccine works makes sense within the larger theoretical framework.

While to a large part, this is also true of physics, it’s also clear that there is a basic fundamental issue between the macro-physics of General Relativity and the micro-physics of Quantum Mechanics. This theoretical problem has been around for such a long time, that those of us on the outside of that discipline don’t waste time worrying about it. But….if that inconsistent dogma was directly connected to something deeply practical (like a life-giving vaccine), I would be worried. There’s a very deep-end of the pool quality to the theoretical frameworks of physics that removes us from mostly having to worry about their practical effect on us here in the shallow end of our blue planet’s neighborhood. But let’s stay far away from any event horizons.