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I'm going to get downvoted, but ... I can't believe that a technically savvy group like HN readers would even entertain the ridiculous idea of levitation or fl

by mchahn 11y ago

I'm going to get downvoted, but ... I can't believe that a technically savvy group like HN readers would even entertain the ridiculous idea of levitation or flying saucers. There is nothing mysterious about magnetic forces. They have been understood for a century. And obviously flying saucers are a myth or we'd have evidence.

jlgaddis 11y ago
Us humans are a pretty arrogant bunch, always believing we are the smartest creatures in existence. What if there are other species or life forms out there that are orders of magnitude smarter than us and we simply aren't intelligent enough to recognize signs of them when we see 'em? Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
- logn 11y ago
  "I believe that there is life on other planets, but the vast distances which separate us also prohibit us from communicating with each other... we Americans have a history of being romantics and often imagine the impossible dreams. If you believe in extraterrestrial visitation, then for everyone's sake, present your evidence, state your facts, and let the true scientists of our nation be the judges. Let's quit exploiting the masses; because if you are the founder of an extraterrestrial vehicle, it will be self-evident" -Hector Quintanilla, head of Project Blue Book, https://ia902507.us.archive.org/15/items/ufos-an-air-force-dilemma/quintanilla.pdf https://ia902507.us.archive.org/15/items/ufos-an-air-force-d...
- aftbit 11y ago
  Well, to be fair, absence of evidence is evidence of absence. It's certainly not proof, but it is evidence. Every observation you make that _does not_ show a phenomena occurring allows you to be more certain that the phenomena does not occur. http://lesswrong.com/lw/ih/absence_of_evidence_is_evidence_of_absence/ http://lesswrong.com/lw/ih/absence_of_evidence_is_evidence_o... http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?AbsenceOfEvidenceIsNotEvidenceOfAbsence http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?AbsenceOfEvidenceIsNotEvidenceOfAbsen...
- inDigiNeous 11y ago
  Yes, and maybe these lifeforms are also much more evolved in many other ways than just intelligence. Maybe they live on a total different plane of existence from the one we operate on. Which would mean us as humans would not have any way to verify this, unless we ourselves elevate ourselves to the level of these possible lifeforms and observe from there. Like, do the fish in the deep sea believe that humans exist? Probably not, but we do exist. These fish just have no way of reaching us or perceiving us, unless we visit them with probing lights and everything. And what would these fish think if they saw one of us, they having no point of reference, perhaps not even any way to model our presence, as they have never seen such thing ? Ps. I've seen a bright light fly in a spiral motion, and then quickly accelerate off to the distance. Here though, I probably get downvoted by anyone who only believes what is written and not experienced.
inDigiNeous 11y ago
Do some research, and you will find evidence. Maybe it's not just the evidence you are willing to believe in?

by mchahn 11y ago

jlgaddis 11y ago

Us humans are a pretty arrogant bunch, always believing we are the smartest creatures in existence. What if there are other species or life forms out there that are orders of magnitude smarter than us and we simply aren't intelligent enough to recognize signs of them when we see 'em? Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

logn 11y ago
"I believe that there is life on other planets, but the vast distances which separate us also prohibit us from communicating with each other... we Americans have a history of being romantics and often imagine the impossible dreams. If you believe in extraterrestrial visitation, then for everyone's sake, present your evidence, state your facts, and let the true scientists of our nation be the judges. Let's quit exploiting the masses; because if you are the founder of an extraterrestrial vehicle, it will be self-evident" -Hector Quintanilla, head of Project Blue Book, https://ia902507.us.archive.org/15/items/ufos-an-air-force-dilemma/quintanilla.pdf https://ia902507.us.archive.org/15/items/ufos-an-air-force-d...
aftbit 11y ago
Well, to be fair, absence of evidence is evidence of absence. It's certainly not proof, but it is evidence. Every observation you make that _does not_ show a phenomena occurring allows you to be more certain that the phenomena does not occur. http://lesswrong.com/lw/ih/absence_of_evidence_is_evidence_of_absence/ http://lesswrong.com/lw/ih/absence_of_evidence_is_evidence_o... http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?AbsenceOfEvidenceIsNotEvidenceOfAbsence http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?AbsenceOfEvidenceIsNotEvidenceOfAbsen...
inDigiNeous 11y ago
Yes, and maybe these lifeforms are also much more evolved in many other ways than just intelligence. Maybe they live on a total different plane of existence from the one we operate on. Which would mean us as humans would not have any way to verify this, unless we ourselves elevate ourselves to the level of these possible lifeforms and observe from there. Like, do the fish in the deep sea believe that humans exist? Probably not, but we do exist. These fish just have no way of reaching us or perceiving us, unless we visit them with probing lights and everything. And what would these fish think if they saw one of us, they having no point of reference, perhaps not even any way to model our presence, as they have never seen such thing ? Ps. I've seen a bright light fly in a spiral motion, and then quickly accelerate off to the distance. Here though, I probably get downvoted by anyone who only believes what is written and not experienced.

inDigiNeous 11y ago

Do some research, and you will find evidence. Maybe it's not just the evidence you are willing to believe in?