Astronomy Quote by N.T. Wright
““The author explains the evidence for they would help from astronomy. He says that if planets are behaving in a way that cannot be explained by what is already known, then another planet is searched for which would explain their behavior. This, he says, is actually how the more distant planets were discovered. We look, then, for something that would explain what is not inexplicable from what we already see.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The New Testament and the Stars, 2020
Scientists infer unseen causes by observing anomalies and hypothesizing hidden factors that explain them.
In simple terms: Unseen causes are inferred from odd observations.
Key Takeaway
Look for hidden explanations when data don’t fit known models.
Themes
science
inference
discovery
Mood
curious
analytical
Type
explanatory
scientific
When to use this quote
- research
- astronomical observations
- theoretical physics
Key Concepts
astronomy
hypothesis
explanatory models
Questions to Reflect On
- What anomalies have you dismissed?
- How do you test hidden hypotheses?
A Different Perspective
Reliance on indirect evidence can lead to false positives.
![“This success permits us to hope that after thirty or forty years of observation on the new Planet [Neptune], we may employ it, in its turn, for the discovery of the one following it in its order of distances from the Sun. Thus, at least, we should unhappily soon fall among bodies invisible by…” quote by Urbain Le Verrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/593/urbain-le-verrier-108136_astronomy_this-success-permits-us-to-hope-that-aft_1277098.jpg)
![“... the irregularities of the motion of Uranus...in order to find out whether they may be attributed to the action of an undiscovered planet beyond it. [John Couch Adams on how he began to discover Neptune.]” quote by John Couch Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a18/john-couch-adams-249062_astronomy_the-irregularities-of-the-motion-of-uran_962609.jpg)
