… the mere fact that we are thus closer to „out there”, a place upon which man always looked up at with awe and curiosity. As long as well-equipped rockets did not rise high enough to see what lies beneath and measure what comes from very far, man had always been suspicious about distant planets, unknown civilisations, the inconceivable universe.
I would not state that all this is over. Alas, a major part of the world’s population still shares some of the beliefs of past centuries. But now scientists are in a much better situation in reasoning on behalf of knowledge and facts: they are able to demonstrate to eager minds what has been experienced and what has not.
Take the example of UFO-s, for instance. UFO-believers are getting more and more into trouble trying to persuade others about what they claim to have seen. The more “eyes and ears” we have around the Earth, the less convincing it is that a flying saucer could penetrate our atmosphere without being detected. Now more sophisticated “proofs” are required to persuade us about their “close encounters”.
The more we know about space the more familiar we get with the influence of celestial bodies upon us here on Earth. What is left for horoscope zealots? How will they explain their conclusions drawn from the “constellation of stars”? What is their answer to many “why”-s and “how”-s? Every time they attempt to give reason to their statements, they increasingly run into refuted trains of thought.
Or is it a too optimistic situation I have just described? I am afraid it is. We are not yet at a stage where space activities could argue masses out of their misbeliefs. This is why many of us, sceptics, urge scientists to do as much as they can to make their findings and conclusions public in a way it can be comprehended by less learned people as well. Because science should regain its respect also in the eyes of those who still opt for UFO-s and horoscopes.
Mr.
István
Vágó
Television Personality
Hungarian Television
Professional Category:
Journalism
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