Whenever anyone says, 'theoretically,' they really mean, 'not really.'
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I think the really cool and compelling thing about math and physics is that it opens up entry to all these hypotheticals - or at least, it gives you the language to talk about them. But at the same time, if a scenario is completely disconnected from reality, it's not all that interesting.
When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
Physics tells us observations can't be predicted absolutely. Rather, there's a range of possible observations each with a different probability.
Reality is not always probable, or likely.
As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.
We tend to believe that things are impossible that are very possible.
Nothing is impossible. Some things are just less likely than others.
To a physicist, we have the 'I' word, the I-word is 'impossible.' That's dangerous.
If an elderly but distinguished scientist says that something is possible, he is almost certainly right; but if he says that it is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done.