Sounding solar and stellar interiors: Conclusions and prospects

Abstract

I have been charged to summarize the mood of the symposium, although not to summarize the scientific details, for they are best learned by reading the proceedings. To the best of my ability, I shall comment on those details in a manner that Philippe Delache might spontaneously have done had it not been incumbent upon him to cover everything. Therefore I shall be somewhat personal. I shall make no attempt to offer a balanced view of the observations and calculations that have been reported, but instead concentrate on how they might be viewed. In so doing I bear in mind that Philippe was not one to tow the party line. He often ignored the democratic means by which unfortunately so-called scientific truth is too often established today, and instead showed more interest in the unusual. Although such behaviour can sometimes lead one into danger, as it did with regard to Philippe's proposed explanation of the infamous 160-minute oscillation of the sun (Arvonny, 1983), it is also the most common road to true discovery.