From: SMTP%"jvrtilek@smtpgmgw.ossa.hq.nasa.gov" 4-MAY-1995 16:12:51.01 To: DEBATE CC: Subj: RE: 75th Anniversary Astronomical Debate Date: 4 May 1995 16:05:36 -0500 From: "Vrtilek, Jan" Subject: RE: 75th Anniversary Astronomical Debate To: "ASTRONOMICAL DEBATE" Cc: jvrtilek@smtpgmgw.ossa.hq.nasa.gov Message-Id: <0012fa935cd016351@goliath.hq.nasa.gov> To the debate organizers: Yes, I did attend and enjoyed the event very much. These comments will be restricted to brief remarks on your questions (and so are not worth posting) because I am very pressed for time now, but I much enjoyed the event and want to let you know that and express my appreciation for your efforts. The event certainly held my interest, and as a curious novice in this area I did learn new material, though the depth of learning is inevitably limited by the format of the debate. My overall views were not much affected by the debate, which should not be surprising as this was really an event related to the history of science and to the 'culture of science'. As the participants themselves clearly expressed it, debates may mark important turning points in science, but they do not and should not actually settle issues. Perhaps the greatest potential value in the debate lies in education, in showing the interplay of judgment and opinion in a forefront area where the facts are inconclusive. J. Vrtilek