A Billion Kinds of Knowledge

A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE told me recently "there are many humanoid lifeforms in this galaxxy which are genetically closely related to human beings." So I took the plunge, and asked "how do you know that?" What I heard in response seemed jumbled and incoherent, but I think it amounted to "there are many different ways of knowing something." That didn't work well with me, and I told him, no, really there is only one way to know anything, and that way is the scientific method. Hard Proof. Still, I felt something was wrong. Later on, I read an article describing a scientific study of cat language. The result of this study was that it is impossible for a human being to understand what cats are saying when they talk. This notion seemed crazy to me, since I have three cats, and I know exactly what they are saying every time they talk to me. The thought came to mind that there are at least fifty million Americans who are owned by cats, and I'd be willing to bet my bank account that all fifty million of them know exatcly what their cats are saying, everytime.(it turns out they do, I asked around). Then, my mind wandered back to my friends's statement, about human-like aliens all over the galaxy. I had to admit that there is no way in hell that I could ever prove, using science, that I understood every word my cats spoke. I also realized that science HAD proven just the opposite; nobody can understand a cat. Well, you can, if the cats are members of your family. So how many different ways are there of knowing something? One? Two? Unlimited? Soon as I apologize to my friend, I'll start thinking about that.