Re: Useless hypotheses

From: Louis Newstrom (newsnewstrom@home.com)
Date: Fri Dec 21 2001 - 13:30:47 MST


From: "Mike Lorrey" <mlorrey@datamann.com>

> Louis Newstrom wrote:
> > If it were not for the phlogiston theory's prediction that materials
could
> > burn in a vacuum (which was shown to be incorrect), I don't think anyone
> > would have come up with a new theory that said the common element that
> > allowed burning must be available in the air.
>
> Ah, but they can. Are not solid fuel rocket motors used as upper stages
> for satellites released by the Space Shuttle in orbit?

Special cases. The phlogiston theory said that any substance that could be
burned could be burned in a vacuum, because the element needed to burn was
in the substance, not in the air.

---
Louis Newstrom
louisnewstrom@home.com


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