The Laboratories of the Impossible!

[Jzz]

I have recently been reading an article by physicist Joshua Roebeke entitled: “ Laboratories of the Impossible” published by Aeon Magazine and edited by Cameron Allan McKean. In the article Joshua Roebeke provides a captivating insight into the realities of modern physics. In my view, the intrigue surrounding this field lies in its curious foundations. Modern physics is built upon the solid, enduring pillars of earlier scientific giants: Isaac Newton, James Clerk Maxwell, Michael Faraday and the early Neils Bohr, to mention a few. These pioneers laid the groundwork that has allowed the edifice of modern thought to rise. Yet, what sets the present era apart is not just the continuity of these great minds but the way contemporary physics has evolved into something almost magical. It thrives on an unshakeable core principle: “It works!” With this mantra, physics, rather than revealing truths step-by-step, seems to perform a sleight of hand, producing marvels—like a conjuror pulling shimmering silks from an empty hat. It is as though the artifice of scientific inquiry itself allows us to glimpse the impossible, leaving us in awe of both its power and its mystery. Unfortunately, in terms of understanding what is going on this ontology leaves much to be desired.