[Junior]

The word is "could've" -- as in "could have." "Could of" makes absolutely no sense grammatically.

And, unlike religionists, scientists never speak in absolutes because there is always the potential that tomorrow something could turn up that would obviate any given statement.

[DouglasKC]

And, unlike religionists, scientists never speak in absolutes because there is always the potential that tomorrow something could turn up that would obviate any given statement.

Oh? I've never heard a mathematician state that 2 plus 2 might equal 4. Or a chemist say that a water molecule MIGHT contain two parts of hydrogen and one part oxygen. But maybe they're not real scientists.