On Fri, May 10, 2013 at 8:47 AM, Chris Zell <chrisz...@wetmtv.com> wrote:
> ** > Given that the topic is phrases that should be abandoned, can we do away > with "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" ? > > > That phrase (or some form of it) is usually attributed to Truzzi, but the sentiment, is simple common sense, and has been part of scientific thought for centuries. Laplace said "The weight of evidence for an extraordinary claim must be proportioned to its strangeness." And Hume said: "A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence". So I think your desire to believe cold fusion without good evidence is not going to outweigh the history of the statement. Extraordinary simply means based on the established scientific generalizations already accumulated and verified. In other words, the evidence for an extraordinary claim should be as strong as the evidence that makes it extraordinary. The evidence for cold fusion should be as strong and robust as the evidence over the past 60 years that suggests it should not happen.
