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That's like saying that the world was flat before they could prove that it is round.

• Spivak 9y ago
  No, that's like saying that we don't know what shape the world is before we could prove that it is round.
  • rf15 9y ago
    No, it's like saying it is round "if and only if" we can prove that it is round.
    • makapuf 9y ago
      Which the scientifical method tells you to verify experimentally, i.e. with tests.
      • rf15 9y ago
        No, the point is: The sphere doesn't care if you can prove if it is a sphere or not, it stays a sphere. If you CAN TELL if it is (or not) is a different matter entirely, so it doesn't work that you say "if and only if it is proven" when you make claims about something having a certain property. i.e. Just because I can't tell if you have two hands to type this doesn't mean you don't have them. "You have two hands if and only if there's a formal proof that you have two hands"