"I think perhaps the most important problem is that we are trying to understand the fundamental workings of the universe via a language devised for telling one another when the best fruit is"

Terry Pratchett’s assertion draws attention to the inherent limitations of human language when it comes to grappling with the profound mysteries of the universe. Human language, in its origins and daily uses, was shaped far more by practical and immediate concerns, survival, collaboration, social negotiation, rather than the demands of conceptualizing fundamental realities. Phrases were constructed, words were invented, grammar developed, all aimed at enabling shared understanding about concrete needs: where to find food, how to avoid danger, who did what, and at what time. This form of communication excels in the context of ordinary, earthbound experiences.

The scientific endeavor, however, catapults us into realms that transcend the mundane: quantum phenomena where particles exist in probabilistic states, the curvature of spacetime, the behavior of dark matter. The language we inherited is tasked with articulating ideas for which it was never designed. We attempt to stretch and contort familiar terms to encapsulate realities fundamentally alien to human intuition. Our words for “wave” and “particle,” for “before” and “after,” begin to stumble when confronted with phenomena that defy their implicit assumptions.

Pratchett’s remark suggests a certain humility is necessary. As we interrogate the cosmos, we must acknowledge that much of what we grapple with may elude direct expression in words forged for simpler purposes. Metaphor, analogy, mathematical notation, these become essential because everyday language strains under the weight of abstraction. Even mathematics, commonly viewed as a universal language, was developed through human cognition and culture, inheriting its own blind spots and paradoxes.

Ultimately, Pratchett’s insight is a gentle warning: our attempts at universal comprehension may always be circumscribed by the tools we possess. Language was shaped by necessity, not omniscience. This knowledge, far from being discouraging, can motivate ongoing creativity and humility in both communication and discovery.