Re: Off topic: Crocodiles

[Mukesh Prasad <prasadm@polaroid.com>]

Robert Dewar wrote:
> 
> Mukesh said
> 
> <<Actually, there is no reason for it to be particularly
> "dismissed", it simply is not useful.  It may or
> not represent some kind of reality, but is not
> concerned with measurable and observable reality.>>
> 
> The notion of unobservable reality is not only irrlevant to science, but
> often actively harmful. Scientists do better not to start believing in

Yes, but it would be rather hard to find human beings who
do not believe in anything which is unprovable!

Many scientists are known to be devout believers in some
religion or other outside of their working lives.  While
it is true that any belief is going to constrain some areas
of exploration (e.g. any scientists working on consciousness
or related issues, who are through some accident or other,
constrained by some set of religious beliefs -- are not
only useless, but indeed actively harmful to the progress
of such work if individually or collectively in an influential
position), there need not be such connections in all cases.
E.g. a chemist should be able to afford to believe in aliens, which
may be outside of observable and measurable phenomenon, yet do
not come into play in her work.