Will Humans ever completely understand the universe?

[Shano]

Hi All,
I stumbled across these forums while googling for peoples thoughts on this question. I see that this similar question has be asked before some years ago, and I wanted to get current opinions and ideas on the following. I wonder about this and many of the mysteries we seem to create for ourselves about the Earth during humans history, about how we have thought to have known "things" (e.g. the Earth is flat, the Earth is the centre of the solar system, everything on Earth is made of the four elements fire, earth, water and air. Being a time before we knew about atoms etc), however there is always someone that is willing to ask how or why and challenge the status quo. Even though at the time it seems insurmountable that an answer might be found.

It has me perplexed though as to whether humans will ever reach a point were we will not be able to comprehend or understand parts or all of the universe. Even though we still desire and search for the answers. Will we ever know how the universe was created? Will humans be able to survive that long?

Sorry if I have not posted correctly, I hope that you may forgive as this is my first post to these forums.

I am by no means any kind of scientist nor do I have an education in physics, rather I am simply interested in these areas of question and the answers that science provides us. I look forward to discussing with people their thoughts and ideas on this...

Regards,
Shano.

 

[Drakkith]

It has me perplexed though as to whether humans will ever reach a point were we will not be able to comprehend or understand parts or all of the universe. Even though we still desire and search for the answers. Will we ever know how the universe was created? Will humans be able to survive that long?

We don't know.

 

[DiracPool]

It has me perplexed though as to whether humans will ever reach a point were we will not be able to comprehend or understand parts or all of the universe. Even though we still desire and search for the answers. Will we ever know how the universe was created? Will humans be able to survive that long?

Stay tuned at PhysicsForums. We're working on it...

 

[zoobyshoe]

...the mysteries we seem to create for ourselves...

This is the crux of the matter IMO. 'Lack of understanding' is generated by asking a question no one currently can answer. Questions arise from positioning your mind with regard to some phenomena such that it seems not to make sense. There's no end of the human capacity for that.

 

[Astronuc]

Some insight from Richard Feynman.

Richard Feynman is quoted as saying "You see, one thing is, I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it's much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong. I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of certainty about different things, but I'm not absolutely sure of anything and there are many things I don't know anything about, such as whether it means anything to ask why we're here, and what the question might mean. I might think about it a little bit and if I can't figure it out, then I go on to something else, but I don't have to know an answer, I don't feel frightened by not knowing things, by being lost in a mysterious universe without having any purpose, which is the way it really is so far as I can tell. It doesn't frighten me." from the BBC interview and printed in "The Pleasure of Finding Things Out, Doubt and Uncertainty.

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Richard_Feynman (not source of above quote)

 

[Evo]

Perfect place to end this.