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Comment Exoplanets (Score 1) 214

I am not an astonomer, but I seem to recall much debate regarding the the very existence of exoplanets. Now we take their existence for granted even though they are difficult to detect. I always wondered why there was even any debate regarding the subject? Why did scientists even bothering with that particular argument?

Comment Re:An OK theory for other planets, but not ours? (Score 1) 199

But it is more entertainment than anything else - until we get off planet enough to test it

If something cannot be tested then it's not true even if it appears highly plausible. The existence of exoplanets was also hotly debated in the same manner right up until the first one was found. What is so far fetched about the idea behind panspermia? All of the material we see around us here on Earth originally formed inside previous generations of stars and much of it may have been incorporated into previous generations of planets. Bacteria can be found inside rocks here on Earth so why can't some very big very old rocks containing bacterial "spores" from long since vanished planets not have ended up on Earth or anywhere else within or outside of our galaxy? The universe is very very very old so life surely has had more than enough time to flourish die and spread inside rocks of any size.

Comment Re:It's not that green... (Score 1) 174

I often wonder if "environmentalists" have any real appreciation of the laws of thermodynamics or idea of the energy needs of of modern society when they take on endeavors like this. If all of society decided to run their cars off of coffee and/or wood-chips there would soon be no wood or coffee left. What kind of environmental catastrophe would that lead so?

Comment Re:Do they really understand what they are saying? (Score 4, Informative) 225

They actually know the point of what they are saying. My birds know our names, say thinks like "thank you" when they want something, "night night" when they want their cage covered, "hello" when the phone rings, "water" when they want to be sprayed, and say "don't bark" when my dog barks.

Comment Re:Nutter (Score 1) 394

Living in Germany I often get the impression that most Germans (not all) know very little or nothing about what it takes to generate the amount of electricity that their heavily industrialized country relies on. The loudest protests seem to come from those on the far left who know less about the topic and are completely unwilling to listen to the voice of reason at any cost. Perhaps Germany has hidden infinite supply of unicorn dung with which they can use to power their eco-friendly organic antimatter reactors for generations to come?

Comment Re:Don't have "Fall" (Score 1) 454

Actually you used to call it "fall" as well.

From Wikipedia
The alternative word fall for the season traces its origins to old Germanic languages. The exact derivation is unclear, the Old English fiæll or feallan and the Old Norse fall all being possible candidates. However, these words all have the meaning "to fall from a height" and are clearly derived either from a common root or from each other. The term came to denote the season in 16th century England, a contraction of Middle English expressions like "fall of the leaf" and "fall of the year".
During the 17th century, English emigration to the British colonies in North America was at its peak, and the new settlers took the English language with them. While the term fall gradually became obsolete in Britain, it became the more common term in North America.

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