" When death comes calling, so does Oscar the cat"

I know; just saying that your imagination can be fun. Such as the website that hosts this forum hypothetically represents.

Sherylin, thumbs-up to the bouncing cat avatars. we need more stuff like that around here, I think.

 

I'm just saying my biggest gripe is CNN's involvement here.

 

Ah. I originally saw it on another sw website.

CNN does suck.

 

[image=http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/30/30688/folders/232783/18173811238.gif]

Here you go, there's more!


[image=http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/30/30688/folders/232783/1817387angelkitty.gif]

 

lol. thanks.

 

People who hate cats will come back as mice in the next life.

 

Yet is just as imaginatory and scientific as the cat who can predict death.

 

Oscar the cat is not PREDICTING death, he is OBSERVING it,
the cat's actions indicate the person is already in the process of dying.

If someone studied this they would find some sort of logical answer,
the cat smells something for example.

 

Not at all.... look at the Drake equation, which, while scientific in nature, deals with how many other civilisations are out there. I'm not talking about trying to figure out what life forms are out there, but the chances of it.

 

I think it's possible, but it needs to be studied. Someone mentioned seizure dogs earlier - the interesting thing about them is in the most high-profile study done, only a fraction of the dogs successfully learned to predict seizures. Some experts are still skeptical about the validity of those results and whether it's possible for an animal to predict a seizure at all or merely to assist when one is already in progress. It seems logical enough to say that animals with strong senses of smell might detect something different in a person who is about to have a seizure (or one who is dying), but then you have to explain why only some members of the species can apparently do it.

Another possibility is the animal doesn't smell anything but instead notices behavioral changes.

 

That's no biggie, Genetic Variation.
Although I don't remember what it is, there is a chemical that only some people can taste, I remember performing a test in my Core Bio I class, I was negative. Some people in my class could taste it, and they said it was horrible.

 

Scientific in nature?

Doesn't "science" invole formulating a testable hypotheses? There is no way to apply any testable values to any variable of the equation. At best each is a shot in the dark leaving the equation uterly worthless.

 

Then I suppose we'll never find out

 

No need to. I already know!

 

The first three are ones that we can study and try to observe.
Rate of star formation, fraction with planets, and the number of planets that could support life are all based off of observables.
The fourth, chances of life is what biology has been after for a while of how common would it be for life to form as we currently don't have any idea on that one.

The civilisation ones that seem to be more of a social science thing... those I'd consider to be pretty much guessing.

 

The first three a based off of obsrvables in only a minute fraction of a milli-fraction of the stars observed. How can we get any kind of accurate number for a variable from such a minute fraction? Can you say incomplete data = guess?

At least you're willing to consede that beyond #3 is a pure guess and speculation.

Scientific indeed.

Make me kind of think of how some view religion but let's no go there.