How Long is a Piece of String Theory?
Sunday, February 4th, 2007Why is it that when a person tells you there’s over a hundred billion stars in each of the hundred billion galaxies in the universe, you believe them, but if someone tells that you there’s wet paint on a wall, you have to touch it to make sure?
I’m not usually a fan of clichéd rhetorical questions, but this one is, I think, fairly deep.
They’re both subjects of empirical and experimental science; what’s the difference between them?
Is it that humans draw the line at curiosity that actually requires some effort?
Or are people more likely to believe scientists than they are to believe a random sign on a wall?
Given the amount of pseudoscientific weirdness that scientists come up with (string theory, anyone?), the latter answer seems rather terrifying…
On the other hand, the former answer isn’t exactly complimentary to Homo sapiens sapiens.
So, we have two options: either lay off touching wet paint, or start building massive telescopes in our back gardens.
I think the paint is much easier.