Re: Musings on Nasa and the Concept of Truth.

From: Joann Evans (bondage_at_frontiernet.net)
Date: 08/07/04 

Date: Sat, 07 Aug 2004 14:12:19 GMT

Jonathan wrote:
>
> "DrPostman" <Looky@mysig.foremail> wrote in message
> news:oah3h059nfqd549144kgmda36q3lnd6k9i@4ax.com...
> > On Wed, 4 Aug 2004 21:33:54 -0400, "Jonathan" <anon@earthlink.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >
> > >The idea of controlling and managing so carefully the first
> > >discovery of extraterrestrial life shows us the most harmful ignorance
> > >plaguing the human race.
> > >
> >
> >
> > Finding life beyond our Earth would be the biggest way to increase
> > the budget and promote further space flights. NASA would LOVE
> > to prove life beyond the Earth.
>
> I'm certain 99.86% of Nasa would love just that. But the boss at
> Nasa takes his marching orders from the White House. The
> question isn't what Nasa wants, but the political decisions
> being made elsewhere.
>
> Wouldn't much of the radical Islamic world consider the announcement
> of life as an attempt by the west to claim that, say, 'God is dead'?

   If their God is so small that he can't be causing interesting things
elsewhere in the Universe, that's not our fault.

> Seventy percent of this country considers themselves to be
> born-again Christians, and they are the party in power.
> A party soon facing defeat.

   Perhaps. But refer to above comment.
 
> This is more about who controls the discovery, and what
> President Bush thinks about it. Since the rovers might
> still be operating come election day, the decision to
> put a lid on everything till then seems reasonable.

   The only 'lid' will be normal scientific caution. It's too important
an issue (current religions and administrations not withstanding) to
announce without certainty. Or at least strongly defining the degree of
uncertainty, as in the alleged microbe fossils in Martian meteorites.

> Doesn't make it right or wise. They want a lighting-bolt
> announcement full of charts and proof galore. That's
> stupid. Their job is to gather, and to let it all pour
> out with all the "maybes" and " good guesses" from as many
> mouths as possible. It is the job of the /public/ to
> form the final conclusion....not them.

   You miss something very important. Fundamental discoveries don't
happen on any schedule. Any Martian life isn't likely to be discovered
before the election, or even in the next Presidential term, no matter
who wins....
 
> The greatest intelligence and wisdom in the known universe
> flow from collective properties. As with any true election the
> more deciding the better. Nasa is turning that upside down
> by having a select few deciding everything for everybody.

   Scientific truth is *not* subject to majority vote. On some matters,
interpretations abound, but whatever the final facts are, they are
independent of wether 51% believe in them, or not.
 

> As with all things the inverse of natural, it's a disaster
> waiting to happen.
>
> Jonathan
>
> s
>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Dr.Postman USPS, MBMC, BsD; "Disgruntled, But Unarmed"
> > Member,Board of Directors of afa-b, SKEP-TI-CULTŪ member #15-51506-253.
> > You can email me at: DrJaiMaharajFraud(at)hotmail.com
> >
> > "Did the Venus transit occur during sunset, idiot?"
> > - Grant,on the GLP web board, explains to us how
> > sunrise happens in NY and Asia at the same time. 

-- 
   You know what to remove, to reply....

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