Lonely Planet!

We have a leaner meaner solar system now. Pluto has been ostracized and am sure that some of the other planets are feeling slightly insecure- Who’s next?

We earthlings assume that we have the moral right to define who stays and who doesn’t. That’s a bit like what the US is doing isn’t it? Am sure that there are aliens out there who must be having a hearty laugh at our ‘logical’ exclusion of Pluto.

We face this kind of arbitrary changes all the time with our laws and policies. Quotas in educational institutions, cable tv or DTH or CAS, Hair and his recent decision come to mind immediately. Some of us are made to feel like Pluto in the process. Bejan Daruwala gave the whole episode new West vs. us spin. He opined that we should not listen to the west and follow our own rules. Am sure our expert astrologers, most of whom are not on TV like Bejan have that sense ingrained in them already.

Meanwhile, Disney will now have to probably find a new name for Mickey’s dog.

Comments

Sharan Sharma said…
But apparently the decision was very, very acrimonious.

One thing i quite haven't been able to figure out is how is this reclassifcaition going to affect future work? I mean, astronomy as a discipline was fine so far, right? So what prompted them to even discussing this?

Am also curious - which sucker would have *first* thought of this whole exericse. Am sure he was sitting in a BEST bus, bored to death and then said "What fun it would be to reclassify Pluto".
August 26, 2006 11:46 pm
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