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We have an extensive scientific picture of the world we live in, and it's verified and validated by a huge number of experiments. This picture doesn't have any

by Indolat 10y ago

We have an extensive scientific picture of the world we live in, and it's verified and validated by a huge number of experiments. This picture doesn't have any place for anything supernatural. You can't fit demons into physics and biology, as you can't fit a bull into a china shop. If you want to think that demons can exist, you have to abandon science. You can't sit on two chairs. It's not about censorship, it's about ability to pass a simplest reality check. I don't want to have any doctors or engineers around me who don't pass this check.

chmike 10y ago
This is a totally wrong perception of the universe we live in. The reality is that our knowledge of the universe is limited by the horizon of our perception. In the years 1400 the existence of the american continents was not yet known because it simply was beyond the horizon of our planet exploration. These are huge continents with humans living on it that we ignored they existed but they existed. Today we know that dark matter [https://home.cern/about/physics/dark-matter https://home.cern/about/physics/dark-matter] exist and that visible matter that is the only matter we studied until now accounts for only 5% of matter of the universe (current estimate). We currently don't know the nature and properties of dark matter. All we know is that it interacts with the gravitational force on visible matter and that is how we discovered its exitence. So, in theory, there is plenty of room in this unknown space that COULD support the existence of ghosts, spirits or whatever else. We do have an extensive scientific model of the world in which we live, but it is still limited. What strikes me is that so few people seam aware of the horizon of our perception. I suspect it is due to our educative program that focus on transmitting things we know to students and forget to learn about the limit of our knowledge. This gives the false impression to young students that we nearly know everything and that there are only a few small black spots left.
- chmike 10y ago
  Downvoting is for inappropriate content relative to HackerNews standards, not if you dislike the answer.
- Indolat 10y ago
  > In the years 1400 "My hobby: extrapolating." We aren't living in 1400 anymore. Show me the facts - and I'll believe you. And if all your argumentation is based on mental gymnastics only, then you don't have a place in science or technology.
  - chmike 10y ago
    My reference to the american continents is what in science is called a demonstration by analogy. What about dark matter ? Is that mental gymnastic ? This is pure rational and objective logic. Prove me wrong on anything and I will be glad to reconsider my actual understanding of things. My goal is getting closer to the truth without making errors. Rejecting hypothesis whose validity is UNKNOWN is taking a risk of making an error. And this is what I don't want.
    - Indolat 10y ago
      > This is pure rational and objective logic. You know nothing about rationality, objectivity and logic. And the fact that you're trying to silence me by downvoting doesn't make your "arguments" look better at all. So much for your argument against "censorship". > Prove me wrong on anything http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luwcg4ArMF1r6yihbo1_500.jpg http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luwcg4ArMF1r6yihbo1_500.jp...
      - chmike 10y ago
        I didn't downvote you. I think your comments respect the standard of Hacker News. They offer me the opportunity to express and justify my current understanding. I shouldn't have qualified your comment as stupid. My bad.

by Indolat 10y ago

chmike 10y ago

This is a totally wrong perception of the universe we live in. The reality is that our knowledge of the universe is limited by the horizon of our perception. In the years 1400 the existence of the american continents was not yet known because it simply was beyond the horizon of our planet exploration. These are huge continents with humans living on it that we ignored they existed but they existed. Today we know that dark matter [https://home.cern/about/physics/dark-matter https://home.cern/about/physics/dark-matter] exist and that visible matter that is the only matter we studied until now accounts for only 5% of matter of the universe (current estimate). We currently don't know the nature and properties of dark matter. All we know is that it interacts with the gravitational force on visible matter and that is how we discovered its exitence. So, in theory, there is plenty of room in this unknown space that COULD support the existence of ghosts, spirits or whatever else. We do have an extensive scientific model of the world in which we live, but it is still limited. What strikes me is that so few people seam aware of the horizon of our perception. I suspect it is due to our educative program that focus on transmitting things we know to students and forget to learn about the limit of our knowledge. This gives the false impression to young students that we nearly know everything and that there are only a few small black spots left.

chmike 10y ago
Downvoting is for inappropriate content relative to HackerNews standards, not if you dislike the answer.
Indolat 10y ago
> In the years 1400 "My hobby: extrapolating." We aren't living in 1400 anymore. Show me the facts - and I'll believe you. And if all your argumentation is based on mental gymnastics only, then you don't have a place in science or technology.
- chmike 10y ago
  My reference to the american continents is what in science is called a demonstration by analogy. What about dark matter ? Is that mental gymnastic ? This is pure rational and objective logic. Prove me wrong on anything and I will be glad to reconsider my actual understanding of things. My goal is getting closer to the truth without making errors. Rejecting hypothesis whose validity is UNKNOWN is taking a risk of making an error. And this is what I don't want.
  - Indolat 10y ago
    > This is pure rational and objective logic. You know nothing about rationality, objectivity and logic. And the fact that you're trying to silence me by downvoting doesn't make your "arguments" look better at all. So much for your argument against "censorship". > Prove me wrong on anything http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luwcg4ArMF1r6yihbo1_500.jpg http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luwcg4ArMF1r6yihbo1_500.jp...
    - chmike 10y ago
      I didn't downvote you. I think your comments respect the standard of Hacker News. They offer me the opportunity to express and justify my current understanding. I shouldn't have qualified your comment as stupid. My bad.