but I find it difficult to dismiss his ability to apply his understanding and perspective to real world applications and that is a standard which many more academically noted physicists would have trouble meeting. I don't like to put myself in the position of being remotely dismissive of what I don't understand, but I like to make sense of my world and it is necessary to make judgments. Other people can make claims about any number of things, from religion to economics, of which my understanding is also limited, yet can have some bearing on my world and I do feel obligated to try making some basic sense of what is going on. If what they are saying fits patterns I find logical, I'm inclined to grant some leeway. If they start making claims I find unlikely, I'm hesitant to follow their other logic. To the extent I understand you, you make sense to me, but than you don't start proposing multiple universes. I will say I think there is a basic Catch 22 to describing reality and science frequently bounces up against this cognitive limitation and while it recognizes it, then proceeds to make assumption which are not always warranted. In its most basic form, this is the assumption of some platonic ideal that exists, but just can't be fully defined. Barbour would be an obvious example of this. Not only has he named his institute, Platonia, but the problem I keep pointing out with his essay is that