Occam's Razor applied to the Mars' Meteorite
What is Occam's Razor?
A principle attributed to the 14th century logician and Franciscan friar;
William of Occam. Ockham was the village in the English county of Surrey
where he was born. The principle states that "Entities should not be
multiplied unnecessarily."
The most useful statement of the principle for scientists is, "when you have two competing theories which make exactly the same predictions, the one that is simpler is the better." Einstein once stated in this way, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
How does this apply to the Mars' Meteorite?
We have a choice between two explanations for the Mars' Meteorite:
- It demonstrates biological activity.
- It is caused by a number of differing, non-biological activities.
By Occam's Razor, one might think the single answer of biological activity is simpler, and thus the preferred conclusion. But then again, biological activity indicates the formation and evolution of life, which is far, far from a simple event.
Bare in mind, even if the Mars' meteorite was proven beyond reasonable doubt to show NO evidence of past life, this does NOT rule out the possibility that life did exist (or DOES presently exist) on Mars. We simply need more information. Either a manned mission, or minimally bringing back much more material from Mars may be the only way this is ever settled.