On Mon, Aug 15, 2022 at 6:47 AM John Clark <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Sun, Aug 14, 2022 at 3:02 PM Joel Dietz <[email protected]> wrote: > > >> And if it "*is basically unprovable by definition*" so you can't prove >>> or disprove it then it's silly and is an idea so bad it's not even wrong. >>> >> > > >> *> Then by your definition your idea that 'there is not a teapot in orbit >> around the planet Uranus' is 'an idea so bad it's not even wrong'* >> > There are many dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milkyway, and hence also orbiting Uranus. Perhaps there is intelligent life in one of these dwarf galaxies which makes teapots. What makes any idea seem silly or not is a matter of its compatibility with one's unstated, but working theories and assumptions about reality. We assume (generally) teapots only exist on Earth (no where else in the universe), we assume there are no naturally forming teapots (or anything meeting such a definition), we assume our history of space launches is accurate and complete and no secret missions by NASA, Russia, China, or Space-X have put a teapot in orbit of any other plant besides Earth, we assume humanity is the first and only intelligent civilization to arise on Earth, we assume no alien intelligences have visited our solar system who consume tea from pots, and never in history has any colony or ship with teapots landed on any moon of any planet besides Earth, that in no branch of the wave function atoms spontaneously arrange to form a teapot in orbit of another planet, and so on. Are all of these assumptions and theories valid? I think all could be questioned by an appropriately inquisitive mind. If you want to make progress in science, state what your theories and assumptions are, and try to disprove them. As time goes on the theories and assumptions which fail to be disproven you can put more confidence in. Arguing about which ideas are silly or not without first stating and agreeing on the operating assumptions is itself silly. Jason -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/everything-list/CA%2BBCJUjR6mSr8ABRbUbV4Aa0Y3ba5A3%3Do0QnF%2BFOPPoq55k9qQ%40mail.gmail.com.
