Once again Harvey demonstrates that his out of the box thinking in relation to the rest of us- at least in relation to me.

I am not sure why all of the above listed options by harv could not be true. But the one that jumped out at me is #4. In quantum mechanics there appear to be several rather contradictory sets of axioms that arrive at the more or less same quantum theories. In relativity we have both Einstein's General Relativity based on spacetime curvature rather than gravitational force and flat space versioins that include gravity as a force, like string theory.

What that says to me is that there are severaL VERY DIFFERENT APPROXIMATIONS OF REALITY. I cannot help but hope that there is a single reality beneath it all. Otherwise we must be just figments in some god's computer game. An important goal of a TOE is then to determine if there is a single reality. Otherwise this world we all perceive is virtual.

And some god is having fun.

Richard, a possible jack-in-the-box