Is science the only way to knowledge?

[Bucky Ball]

Anyone who voted no on this didn't think this question over. At all. And you should be ashamed of yourselves.

Dramatic much?

Let me give you an example, Creed. Several months ago as I was listening to the local classical music station, Smetana's Die Moldau Smetana's Die Moldau came on. I have avoided this piece for years, because it was the favorite piece of music of a very good friend who died some years ago, and hearing it has always made me cry and miss him and feel bad. But this time, I sat down and listened, and let it do what good music does. I totally lost myself in it. I just let it wash over me. And when it was over, I realized I had learned something without thinking about it consciously- that I am getting over my friend's death. It was something I didn't know before the piece, and I knew it after. It was knowledge acquired.

Now, you can try to contort my experience to fit some definition of scientific exploration if you wish because you don't like the fact that Vinny asked this question, but it doesn't change my experience.

You had an aesthetic experience. Those experiences are not invalidated by the fact that they can be (are ARE ) subjected to scientific examination. If you did not have a functioning brain, and sensory system, it would not have been possible.