Hey, just ignore what the scientist witnessed...we got your opinion!!!

Stevie: "...As ever, one has to point out that witness is not evidence,.."

Yeah witnesses are not relevant... and being as you haven't witnessed ANYTHING, I guess your OPINION should be valued!...(what a self absorbed idiot!).

Think about it...but don't hurt yourself!

Some scientist, eh, who can talk about being "scientifically certain." Heheh. You do know what science is, do you, Gustiferous One?

And bear in mind that I said witness, an abstract noun, not "witnesses." I've witnessed all sorts of things in my life, but only for some of those witnessed events could I provide evidence. That would be on several levels: did anyone else witness it who could corroborate? Was that person independent? Have I got peer-reviewed documentary evidence? Could I get you to repeat my witnessed experience with the same result? Did I get photos or video??

I saw ball lightning once. I was sober and the atmospheric conditions were, allegedly I discovered later, just right. But I was on my own when I saw it. It was in the wee small hours and no-one else was out of bed. I checked with the neighbours next day. I was on my own. No photos, no video. I can give you a very vivid description if you like. I'm certain of what I saw. I wasn't looking for an experience. I was outside trying to get my cat in. I've eliminated all other alternative possibilities. But all I have to offer is witness. I would not ask you to believe me. What I have is conviction (cf. faith) but what I don't have is evidence (cf. faith). So I'm not going to publish my story in a popular faux-science mag (unlike yer man, who went public in a rather dubious publication that is possibly, for all I know, owned and run by a bunch of evangelical types). My mate told me he'd seen a tornado over my part of north Cornwall. Tornados over north Cornwall are like rocking-horse shit. But my mate had his cheapie camera in his pocket and he took a picture. It's a brilliant picture. There is no doubt that it is a picture of a tornado. I can recognise the buildings in the pic as belonging to my farmer neighbours. Right-click on it and it tells you the date and time, and I can check the weather conditions for that afternoon, and they fit. Now that's evidence. Not truth, but good evidence. Have a think about all that, Gusty. I'm so glad to be of use in your continuing education about what science is about.