Ben,

Math has become the modern religion. While description is not explanation, it makes a very good substitute. Especially since it can be conformed to our underlaying presumptions.

Epicycles were brilliant math, but lousy physics. It was a necessary step though. Think how much geometry, as well as early clock making were influenced by the complexities of epicycles.

We are into a fairly technologically advanced stage, but it is also obvious that many of our models are getting somewhat detached from whatever the underlaying reality is.

Which is a necessary step. Could we have just got it right the first time, with no trial and error?

I’ve probably mentioned various of the conceptual flaws I see in our current culture, such as trying to store endless notational value, requiring ever more nebulous and corrosive debt to back it up, to a spiritual absolute necessarily being the essence of sentience, from which we rise, not an ideal of wisdom and judgement, from which we fell, so the further issue is as to how long our various ideologies and superstitions can and will be sustained, before they too break up and washed away by the swirl of history.

Will it be shortly, like within our lifetimes, or is it going to take awhile? Just because our environment seems to be collapsing doesn’t necessarily mean we are ready to let go of our cultural assumptions. Those with the most power are the ones most interested in sustaining the status quo, then most people are seeking to emulate them, so it’s a bit of a Catch 22.

Sometimes though, the wave simply crests and starts going the other way, like a stock market bubble running out of buyers and the adrenaline rush of fresh cash no longer works.

We live in interesting times.