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Discussion on: "In science and engineering, superscript and subscript is very common. It is semantic, not a formatting issue."
Radomir: However, the terms used in science can always be read out loud, so they have their, somewehat more elaborate, replacements ("m²"="square meter", "H₂O"="Dihydrogen Monoxide", "∑ₓ₌₀ⁿx"= "sum of numbers from 0 to n", "⌬"="benzene ring", etc.) -- the symbols are only shortcuts created for use inside formulas.
Gregor: This is partly true, but a) some symbols like "x₂" are simply read as "x-two", which is not acceptable in writing, and b) scientific writing is governed by rules of conduct, which consider the spelling-out option often inacceptable. The point is: are non-programmers willing to use wikis or do they walk away back to their "Microsoft Word + Adobe PDF" preference?