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Tycho's Supernova
blamanj writes "Over 400 years ago, a supernova was visible in Nothern Europe. Astronomer Tycho Brahe helped bring about the collapse of the Ptolemaic system by showing that the 'new star' was not a local phenomena like a comet, but actually existed in (supposedly) unchanging heavens. The star that went nova was part of a binary system, and the supernova explosion sent the companion star shooting off into space. Now, that companion star has been found."
Hmmm. Seems to be the day for supernova news. This report says Germain scientists are investigating the possibility that a (relatively) nearby supernova affected earth's climate in a way favorable to human evolution.
I choose to believe that God set it up and let it run. Questions of design, evolution, deity are merely tests of faith as well as intellect.
GTRacer
- My robot OTOH, chooses to believe what he was programmed to believe
Defending IP by destroying access to it? That makes sense, RIAA/MPAA. Go to the corner until you can play nice!
And if any of them had life, one better not think what would have happenned to it...
Actually, Occam's razor states that explanations should never multiply causes without necessity. When two viable explanations are offered for a phenomenon, the simplest full explanation is preferable. The principle is most often expressed as "entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem," or "entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity." William wrote, in Latin, "pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate," which translates literally into English as "plurality should not be posited without necessity." That forms the basis of methodological reductionism, also called parsimony, which I personally don't agree with, because "entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity" is an argument against the existence of higher being, and as such is not falsifiable.
Also, talking about Occam's razor you should mention Chatton's anti-razor, saying that if three things are not enough to verify an affirmative proposition about things, a fourth must be added, and so on. That forth thing is often God for people who believe in Him. In the philosophy of religion Occam's Razor is often used to challenge arguments for the existence of God and I think that explaining it we should also mention that it is only a hypothesis, especially when many scientists today agree that the universe is (superficially) non-random, so it must have been designed by an intelligent designer. Personally I think that if people in all times and in different places have believed in God, it is unlikely that he does not exist, besides morality cannot exist without God, but I clearly state that it is a matter of my personal opinion. I believe that talking about Occam's razor you should likewise state that it is only your personal belief.
Radiation from the supernova would have wiped any local planets clean of life, and the planets of stellar systems within a dozen light years or so...
Where I once worked there was a guy, who was a software dev, and a smart guy, who was 100% in the creationism camp. One day me and another guy I worked with (Tom) were questioning him about his beliefs.
We said, "So, you beleive that earth was created 2000 years ago?" "Yes."
"And the fossils and things, were they just put there by god to test our faith?" "Yes, of course."
So Tom said to him:
"So... how do you know the earth is really 2000 years old and the older stuff was created by god then? Maybe the earth is only 500 years old, and everything before that was placed there by god... Maybe the earth was created when you were born, and everything before you was put there by god."
"Infact, maybe the earth is only 5 minuites old, and everthing older, including all your memories was just placed there by god?"
We left him at his desk thinking about it. He looked troubled.