Soldato
{Needless condescending tone detected:Engage sarcasm, level 1}
Who? Never heard of him...
That's exactly the point I'm getting at. As science has progressed we have been able construct evermore sophisticated theories and predictions, and hence those theories have become more difficult to test/prove or observe directly.
It feels like we are about to hit a wall, where some of those theories, especially those associated with quantum theory may be outside of our ability to test in the foreseeable future or ever. It's a valid point that it's around the hundred year mark since Einstein's (whoever he was) predicted the likes of gravitational waves and the existence of an event horizon as something that may be observable. However because we are forever drilling down into our understanding and reaching the limits of what we can measure. Personally (I may well be 100% wrong) feel the pace of discovery may well slow because we actually know more, and have a better understanding of what would be required to test these theories. (scientifically and financially) A hundred years ago there were no supercomputers or radio telescopes to look with, so almost every discovery was a significant step based on new direct observation. Today we have far better tools and I think have a far better appreciation of just how difficult some of the theories and predictions will be to validate and measure. Even now with the data generated by the LHC, they know that they are going to need something far, far larger and powerful to take the next step.
It may well be another hundred years or more before we have the ability to gather evidence of the next step, whatever that may be. I'd guess Dark matter/energy will be the next game big step. But it could come from another area that is equally interesting/significant.
{Sarcasm, Off}
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