I reject the alien space craft hypothesis for three reasons.
First, it illustrates what I like to call the "Dumb Aliens Fallacy." Specifically, the suggestion that advanced aliens from another galaxy could travel here at relativistic speeds, avoiding asteroids, comets, and Lord knows what-all, but be unable to get out of the way of a freight train, of all things, is incoherent. Surely they would have some sort of collision avoidance device to protect an expensive space craft even if the crew were in violation of the alien version of Rule G. We already have that sort of thing and we are still barely past the dawn of flight.
Second, the whole argument is ignoratio elenchi. Just because we can't think of what might have smashed up a locomotive as it occurred in this instance does not prove that aliens were guilty of a moving violation, only that there is probably a mundane cause that we have not thought of.
Third, until all mundane causes have been exhausted, there is no reason to reach for alien civilizations' space craft having a fender bender with a train. I'm convinced that the inevitable investigation will find a cause, and maybe one that the train crew wants to conceal. It might also be a joke.
Someone should keep a sharp eye on the Internet to see if the results of such an investigation are published. I nominate Euphod since he started all this. :hehe:
But the pro-alien theorists are right about one thing, it is fun to think about and argue.
Cheers,
Bernie
Edit: I just noticed that this event apparently occurred in 2002, so searching for an investigation report should be fruitful if the incident actually occurred.
), but it is interesting to consider the possibilities.
