Catch I, Science on the 11th March

J.B.S. Haldane famously remarked: "the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose". As a geneticist and evolutionary biologist, Haldane believed that there are definite limits to human comprehension. He based this belief on the fact that our intelligence has evolved to help us overcome specific problems related to our survival. Thus, it has been argued, while our brains are well-equipped to tackle the sort of problems our ancestors had to deal with out on the African plains of the Pleistocene, they are, and will forever remain, woefully inadequate when it comes to truly understanding the universe.

Of course, not everyone shares Haldane's pessimism. Albert Einstein once averred: "the most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is at all comprehensible".

Scientific progress means that our world is no-longer limited to that which we can see, touch, taste, hear and smell. Instead, scientific developments are pushing back the horizons of our collective understanding, allowing us to see further than previous generations even thought possible. As the wheels of progress turn, the ranks of the giants, whose shoulders we may stand upon, are continuously growing in number. Thus, our understanding of the universe is increasing with each passing generation.

Inventions to augment our five basic human senses are certainly nothing new. But, what about our intelligence? Surely, this is the ultimate limiting factor with regards to our understanding of the universe?

Of course, we now have computers capable of performing calculations far beyond the capabilities of even the brightest human intellect. Yet, these machines are not sentient, at least not yet. So, while they may be good at performing complex calculations at high speed, they aren't currently all that useful when it comes to answering some of the more existential questions science has yet to answer.

However, we do have the Internet, which allows us to pool our resources, share ideas and work together to solve problems in a way which could previously scarcely be imagined. Thus, while our individual understanding of the universe may be limited, the amount which we can collectively understand as a species is potentially boundless.

It is thanks to this scientific progress that that which was once out of sight, no longer has to remain out of mind.

Andrew Purcell

Co-Editor of I, Science

Issue 16 of I, Science magazine, 'Unseen Science', is out on Friday 11th March.