What makes some very important people sometimes believe humanity’s figured out all that there is to invent, discover or know? Back in 1899 Charles Duell, commissioner of the united state patent office is supposed to have said “everything that can be invented has already been invented.”

Or take even one of the greatest mind in science ever Stephan Hawking. In 1980 he said he thought there was 50-50 chance that physicists would discover a complete unified theory in the next 20 years. Nothing remotely like that happened by 2000 but, amazingly, in the same year Hawking put his 20 year foot in the mouth yet again by saying “I am confident we will discover it (the ultimate theory of everything) by the end of 21st century and probably much sooner. I would take a bet at 50-50 odds that it will be within twenty years starting now.” Eight years are almost over and no scientist in his or her right mind think the Earth will shatter with such a discovery in another 12.

One of the reasons they don’t believe it is because of the recent discovery of so-called “dark matter” and “dark energy” which has thrown them almost back to the dark ages of science as far as the cutting edge nature of knowledge is concerned. According to present observations of structure larger then galaxies, it appears that dark matter accounts for the vast majority of mass in the observable universe even though its competition is completely unknown and it doesn’t emit or reflect enough electromagnetic radiation to be observed directly. At the same time 96% of the known cosmos. Which is just another way of saying that all we have information about till now is regarding the 4% which comprises ordinary matter.

Self assured people who had always been asking themselves if we could carry on discovering profound new truth about reality forever or if, in fact, the process was finite, probably have to do some rethinking. Because it seems there are more levels of structure in the universe then we can become smug about in a hurry. But why is that a bad thing?

As science journalist John Horgan, author of the controversial book The End of science, puts it; “what would it be like to live in a world without the possibility of further revelations?........ After all, our sense of wonder is the well spring not only of science but also of art and literature and philosophy and religion.”

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