Comments on: I wish all of those silly people would quit believing things that they can’t prove. http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/01/21/i-wish-all-of-those-silly-people-would-quit-believing-things-that-they-cant-prove/ Human Animals at the Crossroads of Culture, Science, Religion and Media Sat, 22 Nov 2008 04:58:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Edgar Montrose http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/01/21/i-wish-all-of-those-silly-people-would-quit-believing-things-that-they-cant-prove/#comment-15817 Edgar Montrose Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:34:03 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=2068#comment-15817 Every night I go to bed believing that, "Tomorrow will be a better day." Every night I go to bed believing that, “Tomorrow will be a better day.”

]]> By: Marlon http://dangerousintersection.org/2008/01/21/i-wish-all-of-those-silly-people-would-quit-believing-things-that-they-cant-prove/#comment-15816 Marlon Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:18:39 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=2068#comment-15816 Erich, I have always been a little uncomfortable with the common usage of the idea of "proof". The word is so absolute. I'm kind of surprised that Edge's question was phrased as it was. There are proofs in logic and in mathematics, and in a different way in law, but science looks for a pursuasive accumulation of evidence and rarely reaches the concreteness of "proof". (I am not a scientist so correct me if I'm wrong.) Accumulation of evidence has convinced me of the reality of man-made climate change, but "proof"? How do we get there? Rational people believe all sorts of things without proof. That doesn't mean there are not good reasons to believe it. Anyway, my hasty two cents worth. Marlon Erich,

I have always been a little uncomfortable with the common usage of the idea of “proof”. The word is so absolute. I’m kind of surprised that Edge’s question was phrased as it was.

There are proofs in logic and in mathematics, and in a different way in law, but science looks for a pursuasive accumulation of evidence and rarely reaches the concreteness of “proof”. (I am not a scientist so correct me if I’m wrong.)

Accumulation of evidence has convinced me of the reality of man-made climate change, but “proof”? How do we get there?

Rational people believe all sorts of things without proof. That doesn’t mean there are not good reasons to believe it.

Anyway, my hasty two cents worth.

Marlon

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