Physics Might Be a Patchwork

The search for a single, final 'theory of everything' may be a category mistake: physical laws could be inherently scale‑dependent and emergent, so different domains (quantum, thermal, biological, cosmological) require different, potentially incommensurate formalisms rather than one universal equation. This reframes theoretical physics as assembling interoperable models rather than hunting a single ultimate theory. — If true, this changes public expectations about definitive scientific answers, alters priority setting for big‑science funding, and reshapes philosophical debates about scientific realism.