Readers React: You don’t have to fly to another planet to find uncertainty

To the editor: The article on the exciting exploration of Pluto — involving a small spacecraft traveling for nine years and covering 3 billion miles to bring us new discoveries about the former planet — makes this observation: “When it comes to Pluto, nothing is certain.” (“NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft zooms in on Pluto,” Jan. 25)

This may be true, but I would posit that one does not have to travel billions of miles to discover a place where uncertainty can scientifically be claimed as the norm.

I can walk just outside my door and take not more than three steps (or stay inside for that matter) and yet daily meet with the same discovery right here, right now concerning Earth, the United States, Los Angeles, Van Nuys, my yard, my partner, my dog.

It’s not a very far cry to state that, in addition to Pluto, nothing is certain about anything.

Marilee R. Burton, Van Nuys

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