Slashdot Mirror
Pluto Decision Meets with Frustration
fuzzybunny writes "The BBC reports that the IAU's controversial Prague vote on demoting Pluto from planet status was irregular. 'There were 2,700 astronomers in Prague during that 10-day period. But only 10% of them voted this afternoon.'" On a less serious note, lx writes "Nonplussed by Pluto's recent downgrade from Planet Status, Fox News's own John Gibson does an incredible Stephen Colbert impersonation to correct the 'revisionist history' of the IAU's decision. Exemplifying 'truthiness,' from the article: 'Long ago I learned it was a planet and I see no reason to unlearn it. Why should I?' "
Wow, frustration. Upset people.
Pluto is sooo damn far from here, you barely know it is there. If you are an astronomer, you probably know what Pluto is and do not really care if they call it a planet, a dwarf, a dwarf planet, a moon, or a damn piece of ruck orbiting that fireball some call the SUN.
And for the rest non astronomers: even if you care about that distant little ball of rock at the very edge of our solar system, does it really matter if you call it a planet?
I mean it was a planet for who knows how long, so why start messing with it now?
Besides: you should have already learned, that Planet Earth is flat and is orbited by the Sun.
Oh well, maybe it is wise sometimes to revise astronomy..... but that much dust around Pluto.
(not to mention a laudable use of unicode), check out Tim Kreider. It's rather moving, actually: "Pluto has rented a tuxedo."
The evaluation of an action as 'practical' . . . depends on what it is that one wishes to practice.
...people should not EVAR be required to use their brains after their youthful indoctrination.
You just described the essence of religion.
I am a layman but I feel it in my gut that it is not right to demote Pluto. Even experts like Physics Professor Bill Blass and NASA's Dr Alan Stern disagree with IAU's decision. As a concerned citizen, I have started a petition against this decision at http://pleasesavepluto.org/ and we need like-minded individuals' support. Thanks in advance.