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In this essay I claim that thought experiments have invariably been very important to inquire into the foundations of natural science (in particolar physics). In particular, they have proved essential to test the stability of allegedly clear but ultimately contradictory concepts, that were nonetheless at the basis of widely shared scientific theories. By quickly reviewing some famous Gedankenexperimenten proposed by Einstein against the completeness of (Bohr’s interpretation of) quantum mechanics, I will try to ask how could they possibly have the critical role that they always had.