On 1/5/2017 3:20 PM, Jeff Zeitlin wrote:

> Yes, that's sort of the space I wanted these to be in - we don't know
> everything, we may never know every thing, and here's something that
> we don't know yet. Maybe next week, some serene nerd in a lab
> somewhere will figure out what's going on, and there will be just that
> little bit less mystery in the universe. I don't intend them to be
> impossible to explain, just inexplicable within the current (TU)
> framework of knowledge.

To many, especially with backgrounds in the so-called "hard" sciences,
mysteries exist to be solved; and to celebrate them is merely
romanticizing the state of ignorance.  They reject the notion that
anything is inherently ineffable or unknowable, and a GM who presents
such an item as mere color - particularly one with no prepared
explanation, in case one /does/ decide to investigate the matter - does
so at his peril.

These same people tend to be more aware than anyone of the existence of
yet-unsolved problems - in contradiction to the stereotype of the
scientist who confidently states that all the /important/ questions have
already been answered - and need no reminders of that.  Sometimes that
very knowledge is what inspires and keeps them going.

tl;dr - "destroying mystery" is why we ask questions.  It's neither
shameful nor to be avoided.

--
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Kelly St. Clair
xxxxxx@efn.org