Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: NYer
"OUTSIDE THE EARTH THERE IS NO LIFE"

How does he know this? This is a very weak and high-handed statement to make.

It would seem that all it would take to invalidate his entire argument would be to discover extraterrestrial life.

3 posted on 01/29/2006 5:36:53 AM PST by muir_redwoods (Free Sirhan Sirhan, after all, the bastard who killed Mary Jo Kopechne is walking around free)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: muir_redwoods

...or for humans to go into space. But that would be impossible!


59 posted on 01/29/2006 7:40:54 AM PST by oblomov (Join the FR Folding@Home Team (#36120) keyword: folding@home)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies ]

To: muir_redwoods
"OUTSIDE THE EARTH THERE IS NO LIFE" How does he know this? This is a very weak and high-handed statement to make..."It would seem that all it would take to invalidate his entire argument would be to discover extraterrestrial life."

Muir_Redwoods, this is called an analogy. An analogy does not prove a proposition, but it can very good for illustrating one. And for illustrating, it does not have to be true; it just has to paint a mental picture that can be understood.

For instance, I could say, "Just like Chicken Little, our friend Cindy Sue seems to be easily frightened by trivial events." You could shoot back, "Chicken Little never existed! That's a fairy tale! So that invalidates what you said about Cindy Sue." --- a pointless objection.

Or another example: I was trying to illustrate for my boys the advantage of careful planning in investing money. I said if you want reliably good bread you have to put in an envelope of yeast that's tested for potency and sold for that purpose. You could let dough set out until it gets bubbly from wild yeast in the air, but that's slow and chancy and might not rise at all.

Son #1: I'll take pancakes.

Son #2: Scrambled eggs for me.

Sheesh. What a homeschooler has to put up with.... :o)

60 posted on 01/29/2006 7:56:34 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (As always, striving for accuracy.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson