It pays to be aware of what is going on around you. That is why I attend Royal Society lectures, gatherings of scientists who meet to hear a specialist expound his theories, discoveries and prejudices.

I have some prejudices of my own—who hasn't?—so I check them from time to time. A few nights ago I was part of an eager audience gathered to hear Professor Doug Hamilton of the University of Maryland speak about the tilting of the planets.

He knew how to pull a crowd and hold his audience with a light, entertaining touch, surely a refreshing approach from the dry formality of New Zealand presenters, however worthy they might be.

We entered the lecture room to see some exquisite pictures of Saturn taken from the Hubble telescope. A time-lapse series was combined into a single Power Point picture.

Saturn seemed to be his specialty, but he knew a lot of facts about all the planets, their orbits and their obliquities, even Pluto—"I'm a traditionalist." Later in the lecture he began to throw in numerous complications that took some spatial comprehension skills. He knew why Saturn's axis was tilted—a combination of impacts and the influence of Jupiter.

Frequently Professor Hamilton referred to the Big Bang, a theory that is still in trouble, and the condensation or accretion of suns and planets after the event. It was the evolutionary view of the existence of the universe, and he was a firm believer, with no apologies.

Later, I put a question to him personally, when the small group of enthusiasts had dispersed. "The evolutionary theory of the development of the universe depends heavily on the accretion theory. Have you evidence for it?" I asked.

For a millisecond the good professor's visage changed. Here was someone daring to question one of the great underpinnings of the theory of the universe. When his slightly bug eyes retreated he gave a most professional answer, to the effect that the accretion theory explains all the gross properties of the solar system. "That's my answer," he added. I thanked him.

It did sound convincing, but I wasn't sure, so I consulted some scientists (on the Internet) who believe that God created the universe from nothing and did it in the space of six solar days. Surely, there are problems with Prof. Hamilton's view, with not all secular scientists on this wavelength. For example, a really "young" planet exists in the system of a "old" sun. A second example is that a planet has been found in a region where there is little dust. More

You may have concerns about all you hear from science. That's good; that is how knowledge increases, so keep on asking questions. Scientific theories come and go, but truth remains forever.

 August 23, 2008