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> So is denying climate change or the moon landings... Ah yes, so I would assume that the WHO would conclusively say that the lab leak theory is incorrect then

by Closi 4y ago

> So is denying climate change or the moon landings... Ah yes, so I would assume that the WHO would conclusively say that the lab leak theory is incorrect then? https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/06/09/who-sago-covid-origins/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/06/09/who-sago-cov... Oh... they say they are still investigating it and that the theory should be left on the table... but I guess the British Medical Journal would say it's total nonsense right?! https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n1656 https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n1656 Hmm... Maybe not, they say it's plausible too. Presumably Nature just flat-out tells us that it's a total conspiracy theory though right?! https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01529-3 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01529-3 Ah, they stay on the fence and say that it's plausible. So it's not exactly like denying the moon landings, as I haven't heard NASA saying "the moon landings might have been faked, but we can't prove either way" anytime recently.

LatteLazy 4y ago
And this is the amazing leap so many people seem to make: If it is technically possible, then it must be true. That's what baffles me here: "We cannot conclusively say it's wrong" so it must be right. When did that become a popular mode of reasoning? I can only assume people are so desperate to believe they will swallow this rather than accept reality.
- Closi 4y ago
  That's not what I'm saying - Where did I say it must be true? I'm saying "We cannot conclusively say it's wrong, thus it's not in the same category as the moon landing". In reality nobody knows the origin for certain, but IMO you seem to fall for the fallacy you are describing but with the opposite premise - i.e. "We cannot conclusively say that the lab leak theory is right or wrong, thus it cannot possibly be a lab leak".

by Closi 4y ago

LatteLazy 4y ago

And this is the amazing leap so many people seem to make: If it is technically possible, then it must be true. That's what baffles me here: "We cannot conclusively say it's wrong" so it must be right. When did that become a popular mode of reasoning? I can only assume people are so desperate to believe they will swallow this rather than accept reality.

Closi 4y ago
That's not what I'm saying - Where did I say it must be true? I'm saying "We cannot conclusively say it's wrong, thus it's not in the same category as the moon landing". In reality nobody knows the origin for certain, but IMO you seem to fall for the fallacy you are describing but with the opposite premise - i.e. "We cannot conclusively say that the lab leak theory is right or wrong, thus it cannot possibly be a lab leak".