> -----Original Message----- > From: Dana [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2008 6:13 PM > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: McCain's VP want's Creationism taught in Science Class > > what about what about the drake equation :) It's an attempt to state > the probability of other life existing in the universe. Naturally the > numbers you get depend a lot on the assumptions that you put in :)
Of course - but the key is that those assumptions are all based on the known (even if the only "known" is us, our planet). There's a lot of wiggle room in any of the values even only considering what we know - but at no time does Drake ever leap outside the bounds of science completely and just "make shit up". ;^) It's a predication based on fact - classical scientific method in action. As we learn more about the universe the Drake Equation will (to remain relevant science) have to change to accept that new information. You really HAVE to read Isaac Asimov's "Exterrestrial Civilizations". It's a novel-length exploration of something not unlike the Drake Equation and quickly lays down the ground rules for the investigation. It, more than anything else, formed my opinion concerning "what is science". It quickly, but not unkindly, rejects the supernatural and explores in some detail why (again the "unknown" vrs the "unknowable"). And it's an amazing book in its own right. Sadly out of date concerning some of the science now, but as an examination of how theoretical science works it's still just as valid as ever. http://www.amazon.com/Extraterrestrial-Civilizations-Isaac-Asimov/dp/0517530 759 Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;203748912;27390454;j Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:268298 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
