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Denying the holocaust is right down there with claiming that the Earth is 6,000 years old and that humans saddled dinosaurs. Or that the Earth is flat. Or helio

Denying the holocaust is right down there with claiming that the Earth is 6,000 years old and that humans saddled dinosaurs. Or that the Earth is flat. Or heliocentricity. These arguments have already been debunked. Repeatedly. Meticulously. Leaving no doubt as to their falsehood. Raising these issues again and again, year after year, without presenting some new startling evidence to re-open the case is a lot like a convicted killer asking for a new trial without presenting any evidence of new information or errors in the original process. We are not saying that Holocaust denial should not be heard. It already has been heard, it already has been presented for debate, and it has already been defeated soundly and without doubt by rational persons. At a certain point you turn to the Holocaust deniers and say, "Your argument is wrong, and this has been conclusively demonstrated. Your position will not merit re-examination and re-debate until you come up with new information and new evidence, and the onus is on you to present it. Until then, your argument has already had its time, has already been heard. It does not need to be heard again." We passed that point decades ago. So my statement is yes, Holocaust denial is an argument that should be heard and it has been heard, it does not need to be heard again.

yummyfajitas 16y ago
Claiming a proof that 1+1=1 is right down there with claiming the Earth is 6,000 years old. This argument has already been debunked. Raising these issues semester after semester, without presenting some startling evidence to re-open the case is a lot like a convicted killer asking for a new trial without finding new evidence or errors. At a certain point you turn to the 1+1=1 crowd and say, "your proof is wrong, and this has been conclusively demonstrated. It does not need to be heard again." We passed that point over a hundred years ago. Thus, the argument that 1+1=1 has been heard, and does not need to be a homework assignment in any future "Intro to Proofs" classes. See, this is the flaw in your argument. The conversation here is about exposing students to these arguments as an intellectual exercise. The relevant question to ask is not "can someone debunk holocaust deniers/debunk the proof that 1+1=1?". The relevant question is "can this class of students debunk holocaust deniers/spot the flaw in the proof that 1+1=1?" (Details on 1+1=1. http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/57110.html http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/57110.html )
- Semiapies 16y ago
  I don't get the downvoting - this is pretty much the point of TFA, and it's valuable. Ideas like these gain support in the first place because people don't have the critical mindset to see what's wrong with them.

yummyfajitas 16y ago

Claiming a proof that 1+1=1 is right down there with claiming the Earth is 6,000 years old. This argument has already been debunked. Raising these issues semester after semester, without presenting some startling evidence to re-open the case is a lot like a convicted killer asking for a new trial without finding new evidence or errors. At a certain point you turn to the 1+1=1 crowd and say, "your proof is wrong, and this has been conclusively demonstrated. It does not need to be heard again." We passed that point over a hundred years ago. Thus, the argument that 1+1=1 has been heard, and does not need to be a homework assignment in any future "Intro to Proofs" classes. See, this is the flaw in your argument. The conversation here is about exposing students to these arguments as an intellectual exercise. The relevant question to ask is not "can someone debunk holocaust deniers/debunk the proof that 1+1=1?". The relevant question is "can this class of students debunk holocaust deniers/spot the flaw in the proof that 1+1=1?" (Details on 1+1=1. http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/57110.html http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/57110.html )

Semiapies 16y ago
I don't get the downvoting - this is pretty much the point of TFA, and it's valuable. Ideas like these gain support in the first place because people don't have the critical mindset to see what's wrong with them.