Re: Hard Sci-fi?

>> Ultimately, the question of what hard sci-fi is, is as difficult to
>> answer as the question of exactly what science is. And as you know the
>> philosophers still aren't entirely in agreement about that.
> 
> Philosophers never agree about anything. They never really do anything
or
> advance humanity. They just sit around and invent problems and
> incomprehensible terminologies. All the while scientists are busy doing
> actual research and development.

One can muddy essentially any debate by throwing in a statement that
the question is "as difficult to answer as the question of exactly
what _____ is. And as you know the philosophers still aren't entirely in
agreement about that." That's because you'll never find any topic on
which philosophers will all agree. I'm sure you could round up any two
random philosophers and get them to disagree about whether there's
a clear distinction between a Phillips screw and a flat-head screw.
After all, I can clearly imagine the possibility of screws that
interpolate between the two types. On the other hand, maybe there's
a Platonic ideal of the Phillips, and a Platonic ideal of the flat-head.
That doesn't mean that I can't tell which is which when I'm browsing in
the hardware store.