The “Maybe” Binary

A note for those who need it: science and engineering are processes that produce binary outputs. But rather than “No” or “Yes,” they produce “No” or “Maybe.” Any scientist/engineer who says “this WILL work, 100%” is lying, delusional or using shorthand for “this will probably work, until something happens that has not been accounted for.” The math can always say with certainty that something will fail. A railroad bridge made out of moldy string cheese in place of the steel the bridge was designed for WILL fail. But the best design, the best theory, will also fail if it fails to account for the totality of reality. And we don’t yet have a grasp of the totality of reality. This is why STEM isn’t for everyone. It does not provide validation. You must come to terms with not just being wrong, but trying to find out where, how and why you’re wrong *before* you get people killed.