Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site petrus.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!petrus!hammond From: hammond@petrus.UUCP Newsgroups: net.origins Subject: Re: How to fill a vacuum Message-ID: <238@petrus.UUCP> Date: Fri, 21-Dec-84 07:39:13 EST Article-I.D.: petrus.238 Posted: Fri Dec 21 07:39:13 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 22-Dec-84 01:12:30 EST References: ihuxl.1451 <496@syteka.UUCP> Organization: Bell Communications Research, Inc Lines: 32 > ...? I've never seen a published scientist say how > old the universe is, just how old he/she is currently assuming > it is for purposes of formulating a model from which to build > and test further hypotheses. ... > > Jim McCrae - {hplabs,decvax}!sytek!jtm If you've never seen a published scientist say how old the universe is you've never read Carl Sagan. His articles in popular literature I've seen are statements of facts without any hint that they are simply his "current assumptions." For example, a recent Parade magazine article ( Sorry, I recylced my papers, so don't have the exact date) about the origin of whatever. I stopped reading it after the first paragraph because it was obvious that he was going to tell you the truth according to Sagan. I suppose that somewhere down in the article there might have been a disclaimer, but it wasn't apparent in the lead paragraph. I'm sure you would cry "foul" if I wrote an article describing the origin of the earth according to creation science and only at the end put in a disclaimer about the article being theory not fact, particularly if I weasel worded it to say something like best supported theory. NOTE: I am playing devil's advocate, not planning to write such an article. The point is that the popular press, which is what the public reads, is not the TRANSACTIONS ON ... . This is what the majority of creationists are reacting to, most of them (at least in my church) haven't read any scientific journals (but neither has the rest of the general public). So, they react to Sagan's statements that "this is the way it was" with their view of the way it was. Rich Hammond decvax!bellcore!hammond