"Beauty" in Astronomy: in the Absence of Observational Evidence, Scientists

question 66

Essay

"Beauty" in Astronomy: In the absence of observational evidence, scientists often rely on other considerations to make decisions. One such consideration that we have met before (Chapter 3) is Occam's razor: the simplest explanation is to be preferred. Another consideration that is often used (and sometimes championed) by astronomers is the perceived "beauty" of the ideas themselves. Imagine you lived at a time before observational tests could be brought to bear on which of the ultimate fates (re-collapsing, critical, coasting, or accelerating) applies to our Universe. Which fate you would support based on your own personal idea of "beauty"? Give your arguments, even if you think they are not scientific. Did you choose the observationally supported theory (you may need to skip ahead to Chapter 17)? What do you think of the role such considerations play in science? Are they sometimes necessary?

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The combined gross income of all members of a household, regarded as one economic unit.