Did an Exploding Comet Doom Early Americans? 89
New Scientist outlines a new theory on the demise of the Clovis people in the southwest US over 10,000 years ago. A group of 25 researchers speculates that a comet exploded over ice-covered Canada 12,900 years ago and triggered a firestorm across North America that not only wiped out the Clovis people but also forced a number of large land mammals into extinciton and kicked off the Younger Dryas climate change. However, geologists are pretty conservative folks, according to the article, and some of them are not buying it.
Re:Geologists are indeed conservative. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Geologists are indeed conservative. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Geologists are indeed conservative. (Score:2, Insightful)
Theory X was controversial, but turned out to be true.
Theory Y is controversial, therefore theory Y is true.
Gimme a break.
Re: Geologists are indeed conservative. (Score:3, Insightful)
It seems to be a question of overwhelming evidence: if you don't have really compelling evidence, you'll have a slow, uphill battle. If you do, odds seem to be in your favor for gaining a much more rapid acceptance. In the end, there's nothing particularly wrong with that. Radical theories are *aren't* backed up by really powerful data or convincing models deserve to be treated with great skepticism.
Re:Geologists are indeed conservative. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Geologists are indeed conservative. (Score:2, Insightful)
Weathermen can't accurately predict the weather a few hours out
Re:Geologists are indeed conservative. (Score:1, Insightful)
Whatever you do, don't go into any of the scientific or business fields that rely on statistics. You can probably earn a good living designing web sites, or maybe as a plumber, or something similar, and you'll be a lot more comfortable with that.
Or, accept a short period of intense discomfort and study statistics. Learn the key difference between describing a data point and describing the population to which it belongs.