Actually, Godel said "that the axioms [have to]->[can't] be very carefully 
chosen." The theorem says that any mathematical system that contains the 
integers cannot be both complete and self-consistent. It is unique in the list 
of 'impossibility' theorems in that it has a mathematical proof. The others in 
your list are all contingent on some form of observation. 

It's sort of like saying all sets of equations have to be overdetermined or 
underdetermined or both. Except its really hits at the roots of the 
mathematical enterprise. They say its announcement hit Bertrand Russell really 
hard.

-Barry



On Apr 16, 2013, at 3:49 PM, Owen Densmore <o...@backspaces.net> wrote:

> One has to be careful with nearly all the "impossibility" theorems: Arrow's 
> voting, the speed of light, Godel, Heisenberg, decidability, NoFreeLunch, ... 
> and so on.
> 
> To tell the truth, Godel .. it seems to me .. says to the practicing 
> mathematician that the axioms have to be very carefully chosen.

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