Speak
Re: Piffle and Poppycock
September 18, 2006 4:06 pm
Aboslutely right, both of you. I say that as a community we should stand up against science. I love science ten days a week, and all that, but part of the scientific process is an obligation to make scientific statements based on cold, hard calculations and not "how I feel today about the universe." Science has been reversed many times in the past by moments of great intuition or genius, but in this case I just feel like astronomists are just crying for attention. Every schoolchild knows that Pluto is our tiny, friendly neighbor. Changing our definition of "planet" to exclude Pluto seems like playground politics to keep us from getting the nerdy kid on our kickball team.
We should stand up for science as a concept, rather than science as an exercise on CNN. Tell your friendly local science-y type people that you want them to explore space in a more productive, less angsty sort of fasion.
— Bunsen
Piffle and Poppycock
September 16, 2006 2:22 am
The jury has been out for a long time concerning Pluto. Ever since its discovery It's been a source of debate. Is it an ice ball? Is it really a planet? Is it a large protoplanet, instead?
I think the Bill Bryson said it best in "A Short History of Nearly Everything": We're a lonely planet with many many light years of nearly empty space separating us from the closest star system. We need as many heavenly neighbors as we can. Pluto's still MY planet!
— Double-Oh Average Joe
Talk amongst yourselves and with the author.
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