Quote:
Originally Posted by photon
It's more than fun, it's very useful. We only have this planet to go on for examples of convergent evolution, so thought experiments about convergent evolution of aliens is useful.
And yes it is fun, this is a talk at a science center intended for laypeople.
Why not? The blurb isn't a position paper or a discussion on the philosophy of science, it's a blurb written on a science center website.
And you are pulling things out of context. The part about aliens is about the talk, while the part about skepticism is describing the speaker himself.
So they aren't even in the "same breath".
Just because something's not intuitive doesn't mean it isn't useful.
Flatland is an imaginary novel about social hierarchy in Victorian culture, but is still read by scientists and mathematicians because of how helpful it is in describing dimensions.
Taking things out to their logical conclusions, even if only in thought experiments, is very helpful because it identifies boundary conditions and other things that might be meaningful later on.
Hypothesizing is at the core of science.
Legitimizing what? Aliens? Aliens are a perfectly legitimate speculation. Life arose here, there's no reason to think similar conditions don't exist elsewhere. But no where does the blurb indicate that they're saying aliens DO exist.
We have no evidence gravity exists outside the observable universe too. Or heck we have no evidence gravity exists outside our galaxy, maybe other galaxies are held together by magic, or hope, or silly putty.
Or do you mean legitimizing something else?
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I think we have evidence that gravity exists outside of our galaxy.
Legitimizing what? I meant that in the context of Voldemort. Sometimes I don't write very clearly, I apologize about that.
Have you not noticed that discussing the existence of Alien life is one of those topics that serious scientists all seem to accept as not just plausible and probable, but move beyond that into likely? Even in the face of a complete lack of evidence? I wonder why that is. Can we not find wonder in our universe without conjuring up a multitude of imaginary beings flying all around the place? Does the universe really need dressing up in order to make it fun enough to involve the lay person? I personally don't think it does.