astro picture for the day / William Clifford quote for the day

Nasa Viking probe image of Mars;

Quote for the day,

"If I steal money from any person, there may be no harm done by the mere transfer of possession; he may not feel  the loss, or it may even prevent him from using the money badly. But I cannot help doing this great wrong towards Man, that I make myself dishonest. What hurts society  is not that it should lose its property, but that it should become  a den  of thieves; for then it must cease to be society. This is why we ought  not to do evil that good may come; for at any rate this great evil has come, that we have done evil and are made wicked thereby.

 In like manner, if I let myself believe anything on insufficient evidence, there may be no great harm done by the mere belief; it may be true after all, or I may never have occasion to exhibit it in outward acts. But I cannot help doing this great wrong towards Man, that I make myself  credulous. The danger to society  is not merely that it should  believe wrong things, though that is great enough; but that it should become credulous." - William K Clifford