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> Anytime someone insists on HN that virtual particles are real, you can just tell them that Arkani-Hamed disagrees with you and that he is also smarter than yo
by jamesrcole 6y ago
> Anytime someone insists on HN that virtual particles are real, you can just tell them that Arkani-Hamed disagrees with you and that he is also smarter than you.
So, argument from authority then?
Are all experts in agreement on virtual particles? If not, which are we meant to 'follow'?
And BTW, I have no position on virtual particles.
- _Microft 6y agoArguments from authority are only an issue if the one at the receiving side of them could reason about the topic themselves and are discouraged to actually do that because of the argument.
- jamesrcole 6y agodid you miss the bit where I said: > Are all experts in agreement on virtual particles? If not, which are we meant to 'follow'? ? the person I was responding to picked out one particular expert's view "you can just tell them that Arkani-Hamed disagrees with you and that he is also smarter than you." aside from the silly "he is also smarter than you", just because one expert holds a view doesn't make it right. If all the experts were unanimous, and the particular point had been well tested, then a point like yours would hold. Also, the comment I was responding to was assuming that no-one on HN has a relevant background for having a solid opinion on virtual particles. I certainly don't, but I would not make that assumption about everyone on this forum. I don't agree with the notion that just because someone has a high status in a field that this automatically makes their opinions superior to other people in that field.
- imtringued 6y agoAll "arguments from authority" are breaking these rules. If they didn't, they wouldn't be "arguments from authority". They would be much stronger claims that can stand on their own.