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To: neutrality
Even putting that aside, a handful of scientists (not even biologists) against tens of thousands.

In logic, this is known as the fallacy of Appeal to Numbers.

The factuality of a statement cannot be demonstrated simply by the number of people who subscribe to it. If that were so, the true religion on the Earth would be Hinduism, the correct form of government Communism, and the best language on the planet Chinese.

151 posted on 01/18/2005 12:05:08 PM PST by frgoff
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To: frgoff
The factuality of a statement cannot be demonstrated simply by the number of people who subscribe to it.

You're right, it's not that simple. You must observe the qualifications of the population you survey to determine who believes what, and what qualifies them to know the facts.

The fact is that virtually 100% of the professional scientists that study ancient species accept that Evolution is a fact. They discuss and dispute various details of Evolution theory, but they have no doubt as to the fact that Evolution occured.

164 posted on 01/18/2005 12:18:22 PM PST by narby (If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.)
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To: frgoff

"Fred Hoyle"

The same Fred Hoyle that thought that life on earth originated with space-born bacteria and viruses?


194 posted on 01/18/2005 1:22:19 PM PST by WildTurkey (When will CBS Retract and Apologize?)
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To: frgoff

I'm quite aware of this fallacy, however, you have somewhat misunderstood it. Appeal to numbers is in fact valid when those people are experts on the given subject. In the same way it's not Appeal to Authority fallacy if you say a physicist agrees with you when arguing about physics.


269 posted on 01/18/2005 3:31:36 PM PST by neutrality
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