Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. But sometimes it's an alien probe. (phenomenon, activity)

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by fisheye

Not all of them jumped on the alien probe.

[Vasily]

Mark S. wins the internet today.

[davidt1]

Originally Posted by fisheye

Not all of them jumped on the alien probe. Probably more of them never claimed anything more than just another rock. Of course they can speculate like we can. What made this object so special is that we anticipated that interstellar objects, like this one, should be observed. We had been looking ever since the 1970's and had not found one. That is why this one was so special.

I haven't been following this story, but if any of them played the alien angle, I wouldn't totally blame them. Nothing grabs the attention of the masses better than the possibility of alien contact. If a little white lie can get folks interested in space even just a little, then that's more than what astronomy books can do.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by davidt1

I haven't been following this story, but if any of them played the alien angle, I wouldn't totally blame them. Nothing grabs the attention of the masses better than the possibility of alien contact. If a little white lie can get common folks interested in space even just a little, then that's more than what astronomy books can do.

In the one lecture the astronomer noted that they need more funds!

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by davidt1

If a little white lie can get folks interested in space even just a little, then that's more than what astronomy books can do.

It wasn't a little white lie so much as big, bold speculation.

[davidt1]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

It wasn't a little white lie so much as big, bold speculation.

I am all for getting the crowd excited about space stuff. Problem is there is no scientific footing for this "big, bold speculation."

[Vasily]

Originally Posted by davidt1

I am all for getting the crowd excited about space stuff. Problem is there is no scientific footing for this "big, bold speculation."

Science starts with curiosity about an odd event or observation, and proceeds from there. Most of the time there's nothing new there, but every once in a while it opens a door. Just as was the case with Tabby's Star, there are plenty of reasons why 'Oumuamua is an odd object - but like Tabby's Star, chances are it will end up having a pedestrian explanation. That's the scientific footing: the kind of curiosity about something odd that has led to all scientific discoveries throughout our history. Without that curiosity and the speculations it leads to, we'd be sitting around in a cave somewhere picking nits out of each others' fur.

https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/b...o15703784.html

[davidt1]

Originally Posted by Vasily

Science starts with curiosity about an odd event or observation, and proceeds from there. Most of the time there's nothing new there, but every once in a while it opens a door. Just as was the case with Tabby's Star, there are plenty of reasons why 'Oumuamua is an odd object - but like Tabby's Star, chances are it will end up having a pedestrian explanation. That's the scientific footing: the kind of curiosity about something odd that has led to all scientific discoveries throughout our history. Without that curiosity and the speculations it leads to, we'd be sitting around in a cave somewhere picking nits out of each others' fur.

https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/b...o15703784.html

No one is arguing that it was not an odd object. However, it's a big leap jumping from an odd object to alien probe.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by davidt1

I haven't been following this story, but if any of them played the alien angle, I wouldn't totally blame them. Nothing grabs the attention of the masses better than the possibility of alien contact. If a little white lie can get folks interested in space even just a little, then that's more than what astronomy books can do.

I have a feeling that the vast majority of people who are now somewhat familiar with the "intruder" would never have known it existed without the alien speculation.

[Vasily]

Originally Posted by davidt1

No one is arguing that it was not an odd object. However, it's a big leap jumping from an odd object to alien probe.

Why are you insisting on starting an argument instead of enjoying the thread for what it is?