Subject: Re: UFO UpDate: Re: Is Ufology 'Anti-Science'? Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2007 17:26:20 +0100 Hello Claude, We know there are many fraudsters and self-publicists claiming to be mainstream scientists, as some claim to be ufologists. Nevertheless, for me the only ufology worthy of the name is ruled by the same discipline as any other worthwhile science - which I'd abbreviated to `logical questioning'. [You probably know I like to keep things short and sharp] By`logical questioning' I meant asking logical questions and accepting logical answers as hypotheses, which are then in turn scrutinized (potentially falsified) by logical observation (including experiment). Anything outside of that discipline isn't ufology but speculation and must be regarded as separate, just as other mainstream scientists keep speculation out of their hypotheses. Yet there must be speculation, if only to engender new questions and hypotheses. And I happen to believe that some central questions of ufology - are the UFOs material objects? what are their propulsion methods? are they intelligently controlled? what speeds can they attain? - are also central questions needed for the necessary next hypotheses of mainstream science. Cheers Ray D --- Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2007 10:01:23 +0200 (CEST) Subject: re : UFO UpDate: Re: Is Ufology 'Anti-Science'? From: Claude MAUGE This message had been sent to UFO UpDates yesterday, but I was for the time being no more a subscriber, so that I don't know if it was or not published on the List. I send thus it to you. Claude. >From: Ray Dickenson >To: >Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:52:20 +0100 >Subject: Re: Is Ufology 'Anti-Science'? >>From: Isaac Koi >>To: >>Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:27:41 +0100 >>Subject: Is Ufology 'Anti-Science'? >>Is ufology either a "pseudo-science" or "anti-science"? If you >>think so, why? If not, why are such views expressed? >Science is all about logical questioning, so is ufology; >therefore ufology is science. Let us turn Ray Dickenson's statement as: "Science is all about logical questioning, so is philosophy; therefore philosophy is science". Does not it seems a little strange? "Logical questioning" is of course necessary to define science, but it is not sufficient. Science needs also something as: "basically through a process of experimentation, either directly when it can be performed, or indirectly by confronting to observed facts the supposed consequences of the hypothesis or theory - for instance in cosmology". For the time being, I think it is premature to decide that ufology is a science (where is experimentation, on a global scale?), or a pseudo-science (although it have some features of it), or an anti-science (does not the word applies better to a state of mind rather to a discipline?), or a proto -science (a science on the making: only the future will say). A parascience could be the best term. Regards, Claude Maugé. --- Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:48:56 -0400 To: - UFO UpDates Subscribers - From: UFO UpDates - Toronto Subject: UFO UpDate: Re: Is Ufology 'Anti-Science'? From: Ray Dickenson To: Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:52:20 +0100 Subject: Re: Is Ufology 'Anti-Science'? >From: Isaac Koi >To: >Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:27:41 +0100 >Subject: Is Ufology 'Anti-Science'? >Quite a few questions are posed below. Obviously, I don't expect >many of you to have the time or inclination to give your views >in relation to most of these questions - but it would be helpful >to me if you could select a question you consider interesting >and give a brief comment. >Is ufology either a "pseudo-science" or "anti-science"? If you >think so, why? If not, why are such views expressed? >What does it mean to you to be "scientific"? >Is it a good thing to be "scientific"? >Do you think levels of antiscientific/pseudoscientific views are >increasing? Hi Isaac Think that question epitomizes the mis-understandings about both science and about ufology. Science is all about logical questioning, so is ufology; therefore ufology is science. Mind you there's two approaches - "Advances are made by answering questions - Discoveries are made by questioning answers". Cheers Ray D Listen to 'Strange Days... Indeed' - The PodCast See: http://www.virtuallystrange.net/ufo/sdi/program/ ------------------------------------------------ FURTHER REFERENCES GO - "search perceptions" - in SEARCH-ENGINE file-ID www.perceptions.couk.com/ufo-sci.txt