Do the Laws of Nature and Physics Agree About What is Allowed and Forbidden?

Abstract

There are countless examples in the history of science that not only were the laws of physics often incomplete and more limited in their domain of validity than was realized, but at times they missed the mark completely. Despite this, our collective memory is often short on such matters, focusing on present triumphs and quickly forgetting past failures. This makes us less tolerant to that which challenges present orthodoxy. It may be of value to recall such past deficiences as well as present shortcomings, particularly since science may always be encumbered with such limitations. We can avoid serious pitfalls if we let the past serve as a guide to the future. Subjects covered will include Godel's theorem, superconductivity, zero-point energy, the quantum and classical Aharonov-Bohm and similar effects, theories of general relativity, Mach's principle, black hole radiation, ball lightning, and the universe(s).