I say this because of this quote from Paul Davies:
> 
> "In spite of its Velikovskian flavour, the Bally-Harrison electric universe unfortunately does not lead to any obviously important astrophysical consequences."
> 
> This means that yes, indeed, it can explain the same phenomenon as BBT, however, because it doesn't do a fundamental thing:
> 
> 1. Explain everything BBT explains, plus a phenomenon that BBT doesn't explain.
> 
> It isn't a valid candidate (at this time) to replace BBT, spend Billions rewriting textbooks, and all the other difficult things we need to do when a major theory is overturned.
> 
> Here's criticism of the theory of unknown origin, but some learned insights:
> 
> http://neutrinodreaming.blogspot.com/2011/09/electric-universe-theory-debunked.html&... 
> (Apparently there are things I hadn't looked at when you originally posted the links. I'm less inclined to agree with Davies than I was moments ago.)-Matt, thank you for the link. Great discussion. Don't sell Davies short.

Actually, that's classic textbook "how scientists are always supposed to talk." 
> -Yes, agreed. Vagaries are classic textbook science jargon. Of that there was never a doubt. The doubt comes when the vagaries become touted as fact to the public. That, as I have always maintained, is a crucial sticking point for me, and will continue to be so.- 
> 
> What I don't think you realize is that science works, by giving credit to the first theory out of the gate. If the electric universe theory had been proposed at the same time as BBT, we might well have a reversed scenario. 
> -Perhaps, but then you are admitting the failure of the scientific method. The scientific method does not work by giving credit to the first one out the gate, it gives credit to the one that a) explains the observations best, b) offers the most predictable, testable results, and c) has not yet been directly disproven.-
> I say this because of this quote from Paul Davies:
> 
> "In spite of its Velikovskian flavour, the Bally-Harrison electric universe unfortunately does not lead to any obviously important astrophysical consequences."
> -First, I was mistaken about something. Plasma Cosmology is the spin off from the Electric Universe Theory, and the one I am more satisfied (though not completely). Most of the rebuttals too it are straw man arguments, such as:-"Standard Newtonian gravity can't explain the observed rotation speeds of galaxies. The right answer is that there is dark matter in those galaxies; we know this is the right answer because there is a whole lot of other evidence for dark matter. However, MOND was introduced as a way of modifying Newtonian gravity, rather than by introducing a new component to galaxies, to explain the flaw."-Sure, say your model is right and the other is wrong because you have theoretical evidence of a theoretical substance that can never be observed.-> 
> 1. Explain everything BBT explains, plus a phenomenon that BBT doesn't explain.
> -A) It doesn't have to explain everything that the first theory does, and truth be told, no new theory ever will. Why? Because old theories like the BBT have had decades of research poured into them, and when the observations didn't fit the predictions the theory was shored up with adhoc non-sense that became the common parlance. A hypothesis MUST go through the vetting and iterative refinement process of the scientific method. How else are the kinks supposed to get worked out? And how is that supposed to happen when new theories are dismissed out of hand simply because they are new.-
B) The theory DOES do some new things. Originally I linked a whole slew of predictions made by this model that were not able to be accounted for by the bbt. Some of these predictions have been tested, by NASA no less, and shown to be valid, where as the predictions made by the bbt of the same event failed. That is something new. That explains something the old theory doesn't. It also accounts for numerous planetary phenomena that are also likewise inexplicable under the bbt paradigm, and requires no imaginary substances to do it.-
> 
> 
> [EDIT]
> 
> I will tie this back to our discussion that science is model building. Science needs to document theories like this, but pragmatically, since the theory doesn't really do anything new, it doesn't need that much scrutiny. Science is about moving forward, and fixing mistakes as they're made. -Yes, fix mistakes. Not cover them up with froo froo mathematical models with no observational backing in the real world.

--
What is the purpose of living? How about, 'to reduce needless suffering. It seems to me to be a worthy purpose.


> > I can add nothing to Tony's excellent answer, except to murmur "The Big Bounce."
> 
> The Big Bounce Theory has fallen flat as the landscape of the universe is flat, flat , flat according to all the recent discoveries of the past 30 years. Our fate is heat death 100 billion years from now. Don't think I'll stay around and watch.
> 
> And these fireworks still fit the Big Bang theory:
> 
> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120607161333.htm-And if you read what I just posted, the electric universe theory doesn't provide us with anything new.-PLUS it challenges nuclear theory, which has been brutally verified... I'm not biting.

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\"Why is it, Master, that ascetics fight with ascetics?\"

\"It is, brahmin, because of attachment to views, adherence to views, fixation on views, addiction to views, obsession with views, holding firmly to views that ascetics fight with ascetics.\"