[interroboink]

I think there's a useful distinction to be made between "we understand it" and "we can make use of it." Certainly the latter is true, as you describe in your examples. I don't know that it implies the former, though.

I mean heck, even something as mundane as concrete is still the subject of active research as to the chemical reactions and complexities involved.

I guess it's more a spectrum of understanding than a yes/no situation.

For myself, I find it exciting to keep discovering how little we understand, despite our abilities. We seem to be barely a step removed from alchemy, from some points of view.

[akira2501]

I think the distinction is more "we understand it" and "we can explain it." Understanding doesn't generally imply totality of comprehension.

Going the other way, you most likely cannot explain why your body or your brain works, yet, here we are, using and understanding them just fine.

Which leads to what I was trying to get at. Perhaps our tentative understandings and our means of receiving them are what gets in the way of deeper comprehension.

[tambourine_man]

> yet, here we are, using and understanding them just fine.

I think we’re failing miserably precisely because we don’t.

[akira2501]

I personally don't think perfection is actually achievable, so I'm completely unwilling to accept your definition of our present state as "failing miserably." That's a rather miserable point of view and I prefer to have and encourage hope.