I keep up with the astronomy news, but my thinking isn't as sharp as it used to be, and I can tell I'm not as sharp as I used to be.

Oh, and by the way, the 'selection effect' isn't just an astronomical concept. It applies to all the sciences, and even to everyday life. Whatever that means.

Astronomers get two really important tools that I'm sure other fields don't really stress. First, the sheer size of the universe, and how totally insignificant we are to it. Second, what you see from a great distance is only a tiny piece of the puzzle, and it may not even be the piece you need.