Over at Rationally Speaking, Massimo Pigliucci has posted a quite excellent synopsis of brand new research 
that throws the much-hoped-for Theory of Everything into the perennial trash bin of lost theories. This has obvious implications for physics, where the hunger for the all-encompassing theory originated, but it also affects other areas of science where some have chided the “unscientific” minds of those who’ve been critical of scientisms’ boast to eventually “know everything about everything.” Alas, it seems we’re never going to get there, and what’s more, it’s not even clear that there’s a “there” to get to. I’m inclined to think that even the most elegant of theories of everything , like E. O. Wilson’s Conscilience–the complete unity of knowledge–are, while engaging, doomed to failure. Nevertheless, science remains humanity’s best tool of critical discernment, as Massimo eloquently notes in his post:
“…science still remains by far the best (one could argue the only) way to understand the world, and the fact that its power is limited by the characteristics of the human mind, those of the physical universe, and by the laws of logic is just something that we have to live with. No “alternative” approach has come even close to doing any better.”
David DiSalvo is a freelance writer and research wonk who has written and lectured on topics involving public health, air and water quality, branding, education, energy efficiency, healthcare and social marketing. More info 
