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#1 2006-03-11 08:44:15
- MathsIsFun
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Cassini Finds an Active, Watery World at Saturn's Enceladus
Link: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-r … newsID=592
Should we start thinking about etra-terrestrial life again ... ?
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
#2 2006-03-11 16:03:57
- ganesh
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Re: Cassini Finds an Active, Watery World at Saturn's Enceladus
Conceded, water is a sign of extra terrestrial life. But presence of water alone doesn't suggest anything. I am not cynical, nor am I stating that we are alone in the universe. But aren't we jumping to conlusions too soon? 
Character is who you are when no one is looking.
#3 2006-03-12 03:21:45
- ashwil
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Re: Cassini Finds an Active, Watery World at Saturn's Enceladus
Isn't that how scientific knowledge advances? By jumping to conclusions (more formally known as "formulating hypotheses"). The key is to realise when one's testing of such conclusions is clouded by nothing more than determination that they must be correct!
#4 2006-03-12 08:08:28
- Ricky
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Re: Cassini Finds an Active, Watery World at Saturn's Enceladus
Very well put ashwil. One must not forget:
"There are two possible outcomes: If the result confirms the hypothesis, then you've made a measurement. If the result is contrary to the hypothesis, then you've made a discovery." -Enrico Fermi
Last edited by Ricky (2006-03-12 08:09:59)
"In the real world, this would be a problem. But in mathematics, we can just define a place where this problem doesn't exist. So we'll go ahead and do that now..."