There's a lot of people out there who demean theoretical physics and quantum physics as unrealistic and stupid. Like, how can the imaginary number 'i' ([(-1)^(1/2)]) be used in equations meant to explain the universe? Or how does the existence of parallel universes make any sense whatsoever? Teleportation, wormholes, warp systems, pinpointing the characteristics of light--a lot of people think it's garbage.
I don't. In fact, I enjoy this sort of discourse, even though I barely understand a word of it. Why use 'i'? Because it works. Math isn't something naturally made--rather, it's man-made: it's a language used to explain the universe as accurately as we know how. Just as writers and artists use visuals and prose and poetry to explain the world, so do mathematicians and physicists, except they do it with more precision. They describe the world in ways don't rely on individual perceptions, but rather a universal perception. So let them play. Let them play with the math, let them find something meaningful. If writers can make meaningful things with mere words, then mathematicians can, too.
So let them have their fun, even if all of it isn't true to life. All of us are artists, and art has been known to open our eyes to new ideas. Math and physics is just another art form--just closer to a reality that is real to all of us.
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