--- Erik Reuter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Deborah Harrell wrote: > > > Let me give an example of 'phenomena that had been > investigated for > > centuries' to no avail, until after the proper > equipment was invented > > and the phenomenon was explained scientifically: > blood circulation. > > Bad example. While the exact mechanism was not > known, lots of things > about blood and the circulatory system were known > and examined. You need > to find an example where, despite a great deal of > study, NOTHING AT ALL > WAS KNOWN OR MEASURED ABOUT THE PHENOMENON.
<grin> Then we have rather different ideas of 'what is known'...
Hmm, what about astronomy? Centuries of looking at the skies, yet quasars/pulsars weren't discovered until the 60's (again, because of the development of the detecting technology). Understanding what novae/supernovae were also required the proper equipment (and theories and reasoning of course), despite their documentation throughout recorded history.
http://www.phy.cam.ac.uk/camphy/pulsars/pulsars1_1.htm
Debbi who still remembers the little jingle that went with "Qua-sar..." -- I think it was a television brand?
Yep.
I've been too busy the past couple of days to weigh in, but how about "dark matter " and especially "dark energy" for an example? They (apparently) make up the vast majority of everything in the Universe, and we didn't even suspect that they existed until recently. Sounds like they would fit Erik's conditions perfectly.
--Ronn! :)
I always knew that I would see the first man on the Moon.
I never dreamed that I would see the last.
--Dr. Jerry Pournelle
_______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
