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This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Steve Mirsky. Got a minute?

"How do you know the moon is not made of green cheese?"

Theoretical physicist¹ Sean Carroll at the ScienceWriters2011 conference in Flagstaff on October 17th.

"Well, we know the mass of the moon, the density² and so forth³, but don't think that you fully⁴ understand the properties of lunar green cheese, this is very dense⁵ cheese. How do you know it's not made of green cheese?

"The answer is that it's absurd to think the moon is made of green cheese.

"And the formalization of that absurdity⁶ is that we are allowed to use other things we know about the universe when judging the plausibility⁷ of a hypothesis...we have a theoretical understanding of how the solar system works and how planets are formed that precludes⁸ the possibility that the moon is made of green cheese....

"This is not a proof, there is no metaphysical proof, like you can proof a statement in logic⁹ or math that the moon is not made of green cheese. But science nevertheless passes judgments¹⁰ on claims based on how well they fit in with the rest of our theoretical understanding."

Thanks for the minute. For Scientific American's 60-Second Science, I'm Steve Mirsky.

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1 physicist
n.物理学家，研究物理学的人
参考例句：
He is a physicist of the first rank.他是一流的物理学家。 The successful physicist never puts on airs.这位卓有成就的物理学家从不摆架子。

2 density
n.密集，密度，浓度
参考例句：
The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。 The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

3 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

4 fully
adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地
参考例句：
The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。 They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 dense
a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的
参考例句：
The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

6 absurdity
n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论
参考例句：
The proposal borders upon the absurdity.这提议近乎荒谬。 The absurdity of the situation made everyone laugh.情况的荒谬可笑使每个人都笑了。

7 plausibility
n. 似有道理, 能言善辩
参考例句：
We can add further plausibility to the above argument. 我们可以在上述论据之外，再进一步增添一个合理的论据。 Let us consider the charges she faces, and the legal plausibility of those charges. 让我们考虑一下她面临的指控以及这些指控在法律上的可信性。

8 precludes
v.阻止( preclude的第三人称单数 )；排除；妨碍；使…行不通
参考例句：
Lack of time precludes any further discussion. 由于时间不足，不可能进行深入的讨论。 The surface reactivity of many nonblack fillers generally precludes strong bonding with this type of matrix. 许多非碳黑填料的表面反应性一般阻碍与该种基质形成牢固的粘结。来自辞典例句

9 logic
n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性
参考例句：
What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑？ I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。

10 judgments
判断( judgment的名词复数 )；鉴定；评价；审判
参考例句：
A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。 He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。