> Exactitude in general is impossible, though. We assume that the charge on an electron is a constant, but there are limits to the precision.
Yes, others have pointed that out and I am in fact conflicted right now.
> The problem with replacing an infinity in a model with an arbitrarily large number is that, given enough time and a long enough ruler, you'll surpass that number, meaning your model is incorrect. In defence of "science", you're adding an arbitrary number into a model that you expect to be incorrect. That's not how it should work.
I'm not against using infinities in scientific practice at all. I'm just pointing out that, when it comes down to it, that infinity is never necessary in the logical sense.
> If the model says there's a singularity, we don't then say "okay but well that clearly doesn't make sense, so put a limit on the formula that clamps the values to uh 10^45". That is unscientific.
Sure, picking some random big number would be unscientific. But saying "the model predicts a singularity or growing to infinity, so we're probably missing some piece of the picture that sets an upper bar" is not unscientific. It is in fact the common practice - just like no one believes that black holes or the early universe had an actual singularity at the center, we normally just believe the models break somewhere at those levels, and more powerful models (quantum gravity) will actually put a cap. Or how we keep saying that we know an upper bound for the possible mass of a photon, but don't actually know that it really is 0, and we keep trying to measure it.