The Present State of Theoretical Physics

The present state of theoretical physics
implies that empty space has all this energy
and that matter is a slight increase of the energy.
And therefore, matter is like a small ripple on
the tremendous ocean of energy,
having some relative stability and being manifest.

My suggestion is that the implicate order implies
a reality immensely beyond what we call matter.
Matter itself is merely a ripple in this background.

~ David Bohm

Of Note: Black holes fall into the realm of theoretical. We might be surprised at that because articles about them routinely state their existence as if proven. That is not true. The lay press conveniently drops the word hypothesis and leads the layman to believe that black holes are IN FACT sucking up light vociferously letting none out, rendering them invisible. Everyone knows that invisible is very hard to prove. The theoretical physicist will respond that mathematics has taken them to the event horizon of a black hole. That is well and good but they should be honest that a black hole is purely mathematical conjecture. Believe it or not, other theories about the cosmos exist that do not include black holes. However, alternative theoretical physicists are shut down financially because academic institutions only pay scientists, who study whatever is currently in vogue. Unless these men and women are independently wealthy or have a patron, their alternative theories languish. What's worse, the innovators are often black balled academically. Slowly, this situation is changing. We can thank the legions of alternative researchers, who have carried on with little funding. It is a good bet that many of their future discoveries will benefit humanity and save the planet while the theoretical physicists are still lost in their mathematical dreams about black holes.