A Brief History of Time is ‘wrong’, Stephen Hawking told collaborator

My feeling is that by extrapolating equations far beyond their tested range, we aren't really doing science anymore. Nobody would use PV=RT at the pressures supposed to apply inside a neutron star, but that is because theorists think they know how PV=RT morphs into something quite different under such extreme conditions. However it is assumed that NG/GR is always true orders of magnitude outside the regions in which it has been tested. This means that alternative gravity equations aren't really considered and dark matter is supposed to fill 96% of the  universe!

If we gave up this hubris, and only used equations in conditions where they were well tested - cautiously expanding those regions as extra evidence came along - science would move more slowly, but there would be much less sense that it might collapse like a house of cards. This approach would also stimulate a range of experiments that push measurements to increasingly challenging conditions.

David

I totally agree here. Big Bang & the ultimate fate of the universe are great examples of scientific fanaticism arising from extrapolation of equations. I actually think there's a significant chance that the James Webb space telescope will put the current theory of the big bang at risk. There's already indications that there's 'no beginning' in sight.