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Schrödinger mocked quantum theory, we got the slit experiment, no one thought Tesla's ideas were good, until suddenly they did and then there was God not playing dice and spooky stuff, the Drake equation and SETI. It's a great idea that may lead to investigation of things we don't understand.
Schrödinger was criticizing the interpretation of quantum mechanics, Tesla generated way more garbage than he did innovations, the Drake equation is a novelty (and Drake repeatedly clarified that it was conjecture until we find any evidence of ETI), SETI is awesome.
Everything you just listed is an example of science investigating the tangible aspects of observed phenomenon.
The point is, people have been discouraging use of wild and vivid imagination, so we get the same old same old until someone has courage to daydream, thought experiment, etc
Science works best when people are:
The book "How We Got To Now" does a fabulous job of showing that science is not a uniform step by step process instead is a tree with different branches.
AC and refrigerators all started because someone wanted to ship ice to tropical locations for money.
SETI is another prefect example. A bunch of scientists sat around and said to themselves "We have all these new instruments for space. What if we tried to find alien life with it?"
You should decide whether you are looking for science or religion.
But better not both, because both at the same time can make you thoroughly confused.
Ever heard of Doug Adams, Robert Heinlein, Bradbury, Huxley? But by all means, discourage any use of imagination just for fun.
You understand the difference between fiction and pretending fiction is reality?
Obviously. I'm saying imagining the wildest things has led to important contributions, irl and fiction. Telephone conversations with video, self-driving cars, space exploration all began as crazy dreams. They called Einstein crazy, ostracized some of the greatest writers and scientists and engineers. Close Encounters, Star Wars. Hand washing in medical care got doctors fired.
Play is important, for more than recreation.
Play isn't relevant in any way to the discussion.
Imagination is letting the mind play.
🤦♀️
The entire thing is completely off topic and doesn't even sort of make any point you tried to make anywhere in the thread.
It was my point.
Yes, but how is that related to the original question, or to my answer?
Probably that they dared engage some imagination.
I heard you already. No need to repeat yourself. But how is that related to the original question, or to my answer?
By that logic, any insane thing is totally legit, just waiting to be proven. For every sound idea lacking evidence that was greatly mocked in its day- there are an infinite number of absolute bullshit ideas with no merit that will never be proven. Survivorship bias of the good ideas gives you the impression that many/most ideas once ridiculed must in fact be true in the long run- but you’re ignoring the literal millions that are awful and forgotten. Eugenics was someone’s great idea too, as was asbestos, chemical weapons, and old man cloud god.
Could there be quantum dimensions just waiting to be used for great things!? Probably! But that doesn’t mean ghosts, magic, and the occult are just great things waiting to be proven right.