I should have realized that a short comment, written late at night, would not have enough disclaimers and parentheses. I was aware as I was writing that I didn't expand my point enough.

   I was not trying equate physics, mathematics and the study of various forces with science fiction , but that *because* there are so many competing ideas which cannot all be true, it behooves us to be wary of them as a category.
Of course, most will say that they already do treat these theories AS merely theories, but (and here I am inserting psychology into the game) so many physicists & mathematicians find the game irresistible that the temptation to 'create a variation' with their own name attached in order to publish and achieve academic prominence may influence them. (I am reminded of the urge in music to 'cover' a good song- but with personalized changes in tempo, tune, and even revised lyrics.... often "change for the sake of change".)

Am I getting any nearer making a point? I know that science operates on theory, test, revision, and more testing, and on & on.... I just suggest that in the case of theories of the very basis of reality, the line between testable science & 'science fiction' can blur a bit.
Arthur C. Clarke tossed out several story lines in the 40s & 50s that made news later as 'all too accurate'... such as communications satellites... but these were at least 'testable', even if roundly debated at the time. Clarke himself toyed with all sorts of ideas about the paranormal, reincarnation...etc... but always kept a perspective about it all, and eventually dismissed most of that sort of speculation, not necessarily as 'impossible', but as beyond our ability to directly investigate. I 'suspect' he would treat 'multiverses' similarly

   I am reading every day about new discoveries in cosmology and attempts to map the background radiation of the Universe and discover 'dark matter & energy' that seems to be mathematically required, and I'd love to live long enough to see a real breakthrough. I am also ready, though dubious, to see any serious discoveries in the concepts of multi-dimensional space that go beyond mathematical descriptions.

Oh well... Bill D. is rambling again... carry on....