Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site utastro.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!houxm!whuxl!whuxlm!akgua!sdcsvax!dcdwest!ittvax!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!ut-sally!utastro!ethan From: ethan@utastro.UUCP (Ethan Vishniac) Newsgroups: net.origins Subject: Re: Dearest A Ray Miller Message-ID: <1036@utastro.UUCP> Date: Tue, 26-Feb-85 14:52:51 EST Article-I.D.: utastro.1036 Posted: Tue Feb 26 14:52:51 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 2-Mar-85 05:40:54 EST References: <208@cmu-cs-gandalf.ARPA> <168@spp1.UUCP> Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX Lines: 41 > > But all theories have their assumptions. Evolution bases quite a bit on > fossil records and the age there of. Those ages, for the most part are > based on radioactive dating techniques which assume that radioactive > elements decayed in the same mannner that they do now. > > > Within science, that proof > > is impossible. > > > KEEBLER > > Proof doesn't even pertain to the origins question. No proof is possible > that something that happened in the past, before records, happened a > certain way. All we can do is develop theories and see how the evidence > matches those theories. > > Mike Johnston The above argument seems to ignore a considerable amount of work that has been done on the constancy of physical law in the universe. As it happens we can observe the radiation coming from distant galaxies. The distance to these objects is determined by a chain of inference which, although it admits of some degree of error, leaves no doubt that the light from these objects has been travelling for billions of years. The fact that the radiation looks like light from nearby galaxies (allowing for the redshift) leaves no doubt that billions of years ago, in other parts of the universe, the same physics that applies here and now, applied with equal force then and there. There is, of course, the loophole that if *all* of physics conspired to change together in just the right way that this would be observationally indistinguishable from a old universe with unchanging physical laws. It would also be indistinguishable to anyone living at any earlier time in our universe. In fact, it is just a trivial redefinition of time and has no operational meaning. "Don't argue with a fool. Ethan Vishniac Borrow his money." {charm,ut-sally,ut-ngp,noao}!utastro!ethan Department of Astronomy University of Texas Austin, Texas 78712 *Anyone who wants to claim these opinions is welcome to them*