What proof is there that the universe is discrete and what proof is there that the universe is continuous?
You can never know if the universe is discrete for certain since even if it appears so there may still be some undetectable phenomena you are unaware of.
You can never find evidence to suggest the universe is continuous as there can never be a scientific instrument capable of infinite accuracy.
#25, that's just the issue. If the theory were true, it couldn't help but produce not only testable results but other real-world applications, eventually.
You're putting the cart before the horse. It's pointless to say "assume it's true" and then laud the theory. Good stuff comes from proven truth. Unproven truth (like offered by religion) becomes a horror in short order. Being unproven, soon enough the so-called truth becomes subordinate to some personality or faction and goes completely awry.
The way the "physics industry" is going, hordes of math-gamers are going to get paid great salaries for doing NOTHING to advance the capabilities of mankind. No value will be produced. Why would we be paying them? Oh, yeah, that's right: because due to the prevailing cultural propaganda, they would be dealing with "truth" and "pure research". What a load of hogwash!
There is no need to excuse string theory by asserting there are still "kinks" that hamper its predictive ability. There's enough known now to make predictions and perform tests. But string theory is intrinsically unable to do either of that. That's some KINK. We may as well discuss whether the universe is continuous or discrete. How about we're not actually walking around in flesh bodies, but are being calculated in some enormous computational matrix? Etc.