swansont Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 More outlandish and expensive plans have been repeatedly foisted upon a gullible public. By scientists, using mainstream science? Name some. Or do you mean by individual charlatans, possibly dressing up their snake oil in fancy language? (IOW, don't blame science for homeopathy or Deepak Chopra, etc., the things we continually fight against.)
Harold Squared Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 (edited) It would seem the alien might be representative of a species that didn't waste its time much. Who's to say what things set their species and their science apart from our own? If he said everything we believe is wrong then it might be trying to teach us something. Even as a non-alien I can agree with the sentiment if he means all "belief" is wrong even when it's based on known science. Science doesn't show reality but the effects of reality. We are trying to come to know reality through its effects on experiment. We might be coming to understand the forces and processes by which nature operates but that doesn't mean our "belief" in scientific theory or its applicability to the real world is "true" or correct. ...Or one man's waste of time can be another's search for reality. One species' "truth" can be another's detour. All "science" might not even be the same but every tool (specific science) determines the type and amount of knowledge that can be gained. It's not the knowledge gained that can be at issue so much as the effectiveness and applicability to the real world. Real knowledge is often misapplied even without errors of logic. The misapplication is usually the result of unknown or ignored variables. Without talking to the alien, asking for definitions and evidence, it will be impossible to understand his meaning. Truly. It was "proved" that flight to the Moon was impossible because the most powerful explosives of the day were insufficient propulsion. This is as true today as it was then, yet men have repeatedly trod the Moon and almost certainly will again. If Og the Neanderthal saw this happen watching a little box that made pictures move around he might not grasp the significance of what was happening. An explanation of what ws going on in that little box alone might take years for him to understand. Edited July 9, 2015 by Harold Squared
Strange Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Truly. It was "proved" that flight to the Moon was impossible because the most powerful explosives of the day were insufficient propulsion. Really?
Harold Squared Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Even that could be biased. The alien already knows the results of each experiment provided, and may keep opposing evidence hidden. You could avoid this by asking whyWhy are your/our theories right/wrong?then design your own experiments. Don't be fooled by crafty alien deception. Assume the alien wants to screw you. Or eat you. "To Serve Man", by Damon Knight, mwahahahahahah... Really? No kidding. I think it was after M. Jules Verne wrote on the subject.
Strange Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Truly. It was "proved" that flight to the Moon was impossible because the most powerful explosives of the day were insufficient propulsion. I assume you are, once again, unable to back up this claim with anything other than a vague memory? 1
swansont Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 No kidding. I think it was after M. Jules Verne wrote on the subject. You mean before we actually went to the moon? IOW, when it was actually not possible to get to the moon?
cladking Posted January 25, 2016 Posted January 25, 2016 An Alien Scientist lands in your back garden. You invite him in for a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits. Whilst having a discussion about science, he claims that the scientific theories you believe to be true are wrong. What would your reaction be? a) Accept that he is right. b) Argue with him and take the biscuits away. c) Knock the cup of tea out of his hands and throw him out d) Invite friend/s around to take part in the discussion Now days most indiviuduals would be prone to b) or even c). Then he better watch out for the dogs on the way back to his ship. The human race would do "d)". The irony is that the alien would be essentially correct and with a high tech spacecraft has an actual chance to convince people. It's even possible that the distances between stars preclude travel without "alien" knowledge. But the alien had better be in position to defend himself or he'll find he no longer has any technology at all and that he's about to be vivisected. Nobody would simply accept he's right. Nobody would even entertain the possibility he's right.
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