From an impossibility theorem to an impossible trinity: what gets ruled out can also provoke thought
Impossible. This word, or at least the popular understanding of it, gets a bad rap. Ad slogans dismiss it, while academics wrestle it. Creativity coaches use it as a tool; think of six impossible things before breakfast, they say, just as Alice of Wonderland was advised. Yet, its rap-sheet also exemplifies its value. The word’s wonder lies in the fine minds it has wracked.
