Agreed. I will say that mathematics is _quite_ useful when it
   comes to physics... up to a point, but it doesn't fare so well
   with other scientific disciplines. Mathematics doesn't work very
   well with biology, where uniqueness is more important rather
   than making spherical horses.

   I think that's why we _have_ so many avenues of knowledge
   available to us. I just wish they weren't in silos so much, but
   I prefer a systemic approach.... and even THEN with systems of
   systems of systems... there's a danger of the model taking
   precedence over experience and observation. Balancing act I
   suppose.

   Anytime I get caught up in a novel concept that seems to have it
   all "wrapped up nicely", I have to remind myself that I'm
   looking at lines on a piece of paper.. at pixels on a screen..
   and the rest is taking place in my imagination.

   That doesn't mean my imagination is invalid - on the contrary
   the imagination is *quite* valid. But I think recognizing it for
   what it is - and *noticing what _really_ "IS"* can make the
   difference between getting caught up excessively in an ideology
   versus ... versus... hm... I guess it's hard to escape finding
   one's self as part of "some" ideology somewhere.