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Subjectmatter
Skeptic Friend
173 Posts |
 Posted - 01/27/2006 : 08:33:51 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by JohnOAS
Unfortunately, the odds aren't superb that it'll happen in my lifetime, but you can be a skeptic, scientist and optimist simultaneously, right?
You can, but be careful; you don't want to take it to extremes.
I'm going to flex my new psychic muscles and predict that no life will be conclusively found outside of our solar system in our lifetime, although we may find simple life on Europa, Venus or Mars.
The spirits are unclear on that issue. Try giving me some money, that sometimes helps (beyond what you owe me for the reading in the first place) |
Sibling Atom Bomb of Couteous Debate |
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JohnOAS
SFN Regular
Australia
800 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2006 : 19:35:29 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Subjectmatter
I'm going to flex my new psychic muscles and predict that no life will be conclusively found outside of our solar system in our lifetime, although we may find simple life on Europa, Venus or Mars.
The spirits are unclear on that issue. Try giving me some money, that sometimes helps (beyond what you owe me for the reading in the first place)
Ah, you obviously haven't taken into account that I put those thought's into your head by Candid Telpathic, Important, and Psychokinetic means. This is a new paranormal discipline, I'm calling "CanTelImPsycho".
Therefore, I believe it is you who owes me some money. 
Now, if I could just find a way to enforce the payment of royalties by all those people who are wandering around, believing they're going to get away with thinking stuff I've "sent" them.... |
John's just this guy, you know. |
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JohnOAS
SFN Regular
Australia
800 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2006 : 20:11:17 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by HalfMooner
Thanks, JohnOAS, for taking the time and effort to reply. I actually understood most of that, and can begin to appreciate the technical limits in attempting to identify genetic material across vast lightyears.
No problemo. I can't (or at least wont) claim to know lots about everything, but I do happen to have a bit of experience with spectroscopy and optics in general. I'm happy to help out where I can, and am confident that the favour will be returned at some point. I'm also a firm believer in that attempting to explain something to someone else often forces us to consider and understand the issue at hand better than we might have otherwise.
quote:
Originally posted by HalfMooner
One point: Isn't it remarkable that we can even discuss such difficulties? I mean, there have been some wonderful advances for us to even seriously consider such a future possibility.
Absolutely. I'm a firm believer in taking a mouthful of fruit from the tree of knowledge whenever and wherever possible. Forbidden fruit my a#$! |
John's just this guy, you know. |
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Hawks
SFN Regular
Canada
1383 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2006 : 23:35:46 [Permalink]
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quote:
Forbidden fruit my a#$!
For some grapes this is a very apt statement. |
METHINKS IT IS LIKE A WEASEL
It's a small, off-duty czechoslovakian traffic warden! |
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