3 ms·
Does anyone remember when the phrase "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" was used regards to truly extraordinary claims? Like room-temperature
by true_religion 9y ago
Does anyone remember when the phrase "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" was used regards to truly extraordinary claims? Like room-temperature superconductors. Or cold fusion. Or that aliens were responsible for the birth of human civilization?
This is not an extra-ordinary claim. This is the claim of "I made secure software, and I reckon it's pretty good" wrapped up in the extremely ordinary common English-language hyperbole of calling something 'the best' when there is no way to know if it is, or prove it one way or the other.
- bradknowles 9y agoHowever, the use of hyperbole transforms the claim into an extraordinary one. That is, unless you consider hyperbole to now be standard, in which case we have to likewise transform the original material being quoted. Otherwise we're comparing apples to super duper hyper bestest-ever oranges.
- true_religion 9y agoYep, I consider the use of hyperbole to be a standard colloquialism in this case, not a claim that they did an in-depth experimental study of pastebins and have compiled a report for peer review.