[canada_engineer]

Its negativity like this that holds us back.

[hdivider]

On HN, comments meant to stimulate optimism and willpower don't tend to get encouraged. Cynicism, skepticism, figuring out how things will fail -- as they inevitably will, of course -- or how if they succeed, they're corrupt or broken in some way...that is increasingly the coin of the realm here. :)

In reality, your sentiment is correct. Sure, there are laws of physics. But they are also unknown, as the ones humans understand don't describe all observed phenomena by a long shot. There are still restrictions even so, but incredible unknowns await us. As they always have.

What engineering-minded folks frequently don't understand is the need to apply sheer old willpower, after using all that intellect. Ending with a positive, with the notion that it can be done; we just have to figure out how.

[Zenzero]

The unfortunate thing is many people seem to equate cynicism with demonstration of intelligence. While you generally need to be smart to come up with reasons why something might not work, it becomes a lazy way of thinking. Experience in life has taught me that it is far simpler to sit back and poke holes in things than to construct something new.

[guerrilla]

It may or may not be. It's negative like that that holds us back from finding out whether it's possible or not though.