Comments on: Cosmic Clump Coincidence? http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/12/coincidental-cosmic-clump.html Overcoming Bias is economist Robin Hanson’s blog, on honesty, signaling, disagreement, forecasting, and the far future. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:17:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: J http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/12/coincidental-cosmic-clump.html#comment-437319 J Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:53:03 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=20637#comment-437319 Can you translate this into some Powerball numbers? Can you translate this into some Powerball numbers?

]]> By: Granite26 http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/12/coincidental-cosmic-clump.html#comment-437310 Granite26 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:45:04 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=20637#comment-437310 It seems to be testable. Have SETI spend extra time looking at similar bits of the sky... It seems to be testable. Have SETI spend extra time looking at similar bits of the sky…

]]> By: haig http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/12/coincidental-cosmic-clump.html#comment-437297 haig Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:44:05 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=20637#comment-437297 This post needs 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' as background music to do it justice. This post needs ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ as background music to do it justice.

]]> By: Vladimir Nesov http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/12/coincidental-cosmic-clump.html#comment-437274 Vladimir Nesov Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:33:34 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=20637#comment-437274 I agree. I agree.

]]> By: uberVU - social comments http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/12/coincidental-cosmic-clump.html#comment-437271 uberVU - social comments Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:25:10 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=20637#comment-437271 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Friendfeed by Alexander Kruel: Cosmic Clump Coincidence? - http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009...... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Friendfeed by Alexander Kruel: Cosmic Clump Coincidence? – http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009…...

]]> By: Hopefully Anonymous http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/12/coincidental-cosmic-clump.html#comment-437235 Hopefully Anonymous Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:14:32 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=20637#comment-437235 Your blog post reminds me of why I'm a big fan of intellectuals attaining 2+ disparate Ph.D.'s (or at least masters). I think you have a (unfortunately too) unique vantage to discuss topics like these with a masters in physics and a Ph.D. in the social sciences. Your blog post reminds me of why I’m a big fan of intellectuals attaining 2+ disparate Ph.D.’s (or at least masters). I think you have a (unfortunately too) unique vantage to discuss topics like these with a masters in physics and a Ph.D. in the social sciences.

]]> By: spriteless http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/12/coincidental-cosmic-clump.html#comment-437225 spriteless Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:17:22 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=20637#comment-437225 Humans see patterns. If it were a different pattern, we would have seen it and then maybe marveled at the coincidence of that, instead. We are going to create some pattern out of what we no matter what. What are the odds that I'd get my exact DNA from my parents Dr. Manhattan? Humans see patterns. If it were a different pattern, we would have seen it and then maybe marveled at the coincidence of that, instead. We are going to create some pattern out of what we no matter what. What are the odds that I’d get my exact DNA from my parents Dr. Manhattan?

]]> By: Dan in EuroLand http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/12/coincidental-cosmic-clump.html#comment-437221 Dan in EuroLand Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:11:42 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=20637#comment-437221 The causation is backwards. Brain growth caused the collisions!! jk. The causation is backwards. Brain growth caused the collisions!!

jk.

]]> By: Eric Johnson http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/12/coincidental-cosmic-clump.html#comment-437199 Eric Johnson Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:36:41 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=20637#comment-437199 Its possible celestial events can influence evolution. For instance, wiping out a lot of species or just a lot of individual animals can probably break up ecologies and cause a punctuation of equilibrium. However, I'm guessing we dont know of a mass extinction from this point in time. And theres probably only a rather narrow range of amounts of high-energy radiation that would kill lots of vertebrate individuals without causing a mass extinction. The putative binary partner of Sol, Nemesis, was once a hypothesis for causing mass extinctions that appear to be rather periodic. However, I think most workers do not believe that Nemesis exists, and never have. Its possible celestial events can influence evolution. For instance, wiping out a lot of species or just a lot of individual animals can probably break up ecologies and cause a punctuation of equilibrium.

However, I’m guessing we dont know of a mass extinction from this point in time. And theres probably only a rather narrow range of amounts of high-energy radiation that would kill lots of vertebrate individuals without causing a mass extinction.

The putative binary partner of Sol, Nemesis, was once a hypothesis for causing mass extinctions that appear to be rather periodic. However, I think most workers do not believe that Nemesis exists, and never have.

]]> By: Robin Hanson http://www.overcomingbias.com/2009/12/coincidental-cosmic-clump.html#comment-437196 Robin Hanson Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:26:53 +0000 http://www.overcomingbias.com/?p=20637#comment-437196 Huh? your source also says a diameter of 1000 pc and we are 100pc from the center. Just what I said. Huh? your source also says a diameter of 1000 pc and we are 100pc from the center. Just what I said.

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