I took that to mean that, in theory, beginning with a scalar field, it is mathematically possible... Not that this would be a real-life means that such a thing

I took that to mean that, in theory, beginning with a scalar field, it is mathematically possible... Not that this would be a real-life means that such a thing could come about. The "proof" they found the flaw in said a thing was mathematically impossible — they showed otherwise.