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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*