Posted on 12/14/2016 10:12:58 AM PST by fishtank
But those involve scientific observations about the present and/or future. Science of the past is a lot more speculative. Paleontology and archaeology run into the same problem; unless a dinosaur steps out of a time machine and says “No guys, this is how we went extinct,” we will never know for sure and much of it is simply guesswork. I’ve heard dozens of theories about the extinction, and new ones are always popping up. Even if we definitively solve it, some joker scientist will come along with a new theory with new evidence that casts doubt on the official explanation. Here we go again!
Reminds me of a girl in my physics department at the University of < redacted >, way back when. Some girls are smart, and pretty, and don’t have chips on their shoulders.
Well, there’s anti-matter, but that’s not “dark matter”.
I don’t know what happened between post #1 and post #21, but I see what you mean.
I blame dark matter. And Trump.
Take an ogle at #21 before deciding.
re: “Evolution is also a fact.”
In what sense? Life spontaneously created itself from non-living matter? Micro-evolution? Macro-evolution?
I brought my .....pencil!
I don’t feel tardy.
“But we know that there are more dimensions than just the four we can immediately observe”
Actually, we don’t know that. That is a hypothesis used, because that is the only way the math works in their efforts to come up with a unified theory. There are zero repeatable experiments that demonstrate extra dimensions. It is purely a chalkboard exercise.
I believe we are at the end of a chain of cascading errors.
Physics 100 years from now will laugh at this era.
The presence and frequency of cosmic background radiation was suggested by calculations of the cooling of a black body. It was accidentally validated by Bell lab technicians puzzled that they couldn’t get rid off all the hiss in their horn antenna. The presence and frequency of this radiation points right back to the Big Bang. At some point, the evidence becomes so strong that we think we know something.
In the above case, the Steady-State theory was blown out of the water.
The argument that it is not possible for us to “know” anything as the term is operationally defined has merit, but leaves civilization blind and in chaos. One does what one can, and so far, we’ve done some amazing stuff with what ‘knowledge’ we’ve developed.
Don’t conflate origins with evolution.
Evolution works on organisms already in existence.
Intelligent physicists today don't laugh at the physicists of 1916. Or 1816, Or 1716. Or ...
We stand on the shoulders of giants.
That is true. To quote David Bowie as Nikola Tesla from “The Prestige,” exact science is not an exact science. What is indisputable scientific fact one day is a laughable myth the next, as we stumble our way towards the truth over the generations. We laugh at what scientists used to believe, but future scientists will probably laugh at what we believe today.
There is no scientific experience with “dark matter.” “dark matter” has been proposed as a way of getting out of the trouble caused by current theories and equations.
Rather than admit the theories and equations are inadequate, they postulate “dark matter.”
Sorry, “dark matter” is like “alternate” universes and the “multiverse”. Don’t exist.
The real problem with the astroid, dark matter, what have you theory which killed off the dinos is that they went on living (according to the fossil record) for millions of years after the ELE at 60 million BC.
Settled Science?
“(That said, I’m beginning to think “dark matter” is just sciencey-sounding bunk scientists came up with to explain stuff they can’t figure out).”
Can you explain how gravity exerts a force?
Can you explain an electrical force?
Can you explain a magnetic force?
“Jill” was in my class, same age. It was a very small group; we were all friends, but dated outside the department.
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