Message text written by Ken to "BP - \"The Cracked Monitor\""
>Is there such a thing as "superior" science, or is it improper to qualify
science as being either superior or inferior?

Is scientific fact temporary, or can I expect to understand differently
following after death?
<
Nobody, so far, has made any statement regarding superior science, although
I suppose that since Science is a body of knowledge acquired through the
use of the Scientific Method, that there are bound to be those whose
methods are more accurate than others, hence superior science. 

My comments regarding superior technology suggest something quite
different. Is a tire that lasts 80,000 miles superior technology compared
with a tire that lasts 2000 miles? Probably, all other things being equal.
Is a patching product that shrinks less, bonds better and disperses stress
more efficiently superior technology to one that does less well in these
key performance properties? 

The reason good technical discussions lead to more questions is that while
the statement above may be true, it is also somewhat general. Bravo, Ann
Sullivan, and those like her who recognize that understanding and good
practice come from continually probing more deeply into the details. 

Science, as a process, has but one objective and that is Truth. The nature
of the method involves proposal of a theory followed by controlled
experimentation from which observations are made and then conclusions can
be drawn. The theory may be supported, partially supported (meaning the
theory must be modified) or disproven. At the beginning, the experiments
may tend to be broader and more general. From the first set of results, you
may be led to focus more closely on a particular detail. No matter how
deeply you penetrate, there is always a deeper level.  Sorry, but Science
is no place for the lazy.

Is scientific fact temporary? No. But theories are temporary, as they are
subject to being modified, qualified, or replaced by a theory that better
fits the observations. This is particularly likely to occur as more and
more detailed, accurate observations are made. 

As for what happens after death, there is insufficient data to form the
basis of a scientific theory at this time. Within the limits of our current
understanding and reproduceable observations, however, it may be accurate
to suggest that  the process appears to be irreversible. 

Happy Labor Day, all!

Mike Edison