# What, if any, is the role of unprovable/undecidable statements in physics?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-any-is-the-role-of-unprovable-undecidable-statements-in-physics/847511>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 5, 2020, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-any-is-the-role-of-unprovable-undecidable-statements-in-physics/847511 "2020-02-05T01:10:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 5

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-any-is-the-role-of-unprovable-undecidable-statements-in-physics/847511/5 "2020-02-06T17:28:08Z")

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> [@PlaceboTarget](#):
>
> The OP might be concerned with the amount of speculation in modern physics.

Speculation should not be confused with philosophy, IMO.

Whether speculation is a good thing or bad and whether there is too much speculation in today’s physics are sensible topics for discussion, of course. But that’s not the topic here.

Karl also posted this statement in another thread:

> [@What are the ethical ramifications (if any) of Many Worlds theory?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ethical-ramifications-if-any-of-many-worlds-theory/847145/44):
>
> I believe that much, and maybe all of physics (and mathematics) is, ultimately, philosophy. So, real scientific may not be “real” or “scientific”.

This thread is another stab at finding a way to support that statement. I find the statement unsupportable, even nonsensical. YMMV.

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