A very basic question...

In ,
Mark McIntyre typed:
On Sun, 29 Jan 2006 12:45:53 +0000 (UTC), in uk.sci.astronomy , "Jo"
wrote:


No I wasn't saying "we can't infer anything" and I apologise if I
gave that impression.

Thats ok, I forgive you... :-)

(snip rest of post as I'm /really/ not interested in discussing this
further, your argument seems to be the classic leading one down a
series of almost-logical steps to reach an illogical conclusion. No
offense, but its one I often see from folks attempting to 'disprove'
some scientific truth that they intuitively disbelieve in or which
offends their moral, religious or socio-political world view.

If we were in the pub on a friday night, it might be a different
kettle of fish, I'd be in pontification mode then.).


I don't have any religious views. Nor political. Nor moral, in this context.
I'm not pursuing an agenda or trying to 'disprove' anything because that
would be impossible by simply debating it here. I consider that I'm
presenting an entirely reasonable, logical and scientific view. My view is
that we don't yet know enough to be able to calculate the probability of
life on a specific distant planet. That's all I'm trying to say, no more and
no less. My opinion will almost certainly change as/when research in this
field progresses. I hope this will happen in my lifetime, you think it has
already happened.

Anyway, you think you are correct. I think I am correct. And that is how it
will have to stay. I'm not into endless futile public sparring and neither
are you so we can simply let this end here and leave it to others to read
and make of it what they will.

Jo