--- On Sun, 6/13/10, chazwin <[email protected]> wrote:
> I have heard two explanations of this phenomenon. > 1) A moon alone in the blackness of space provides no > referent to the > observer and thus appears smaller than it would near the > horizon. > 2) The view of the moon through the horizon benefits from a > magnifying > affect due to the greater density of the atmosphere at this > angle. =========== G: 2).Is a simple ignorance of facts. 1).Points in the right direction, but makes just one step in a trip round the world. Let's recall the facts: Not only external measurements, such as photos, but even ophthalmoscopic examinations show that moon images projected on the retina have identical sizes in both events. Thus, however it happens, the illusion takes place in the brain and my percepts of moon seem to be constructs of my mind. In other terms the issue boils down to the fact that my mind makes a difference between two identical circles transfered to it from the retina. The question is not HOW it does it - that we don't know - but what intuitive criterion can we see as the premise of its decision. Cheers Georges. =================== -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Epistemology" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/epistemology?hl=en.
