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Science, truth, and knowledge


Reg Prescott

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12 minutes ago, Reg Prescott said:

No. Are you proposing a strawman to add your already prodigious collection of fallacies and contradictions?

As an independent observer on this thread that does seem to be the standard response when they are in a bit of a fix, Reg.

I get the impression that they are just trying to keep batting you away and hope you leave rather than just admit you have a point.

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Just now, NortonH said:

As an independent observer on this thread that does seem to be the standard response when they are in a bit of a fix, Reg.

I get the impression that they are just trying to keep batting you away and hope you leave rather than just admit you have a point.

No - he is arguing about the definition of the word knowledge from what I can tell.

15 minutes ago, Reg Prescott said:

No. Are you proposing a strawman to add your already prodigious collection of fallacies and contradictions?

NO. Not that I am aware. OK - Back to basics   - WHICH fallaciy and contradiction.   Don't start with the definition of the word knowledge again though - we have been round in circles about that. If you can't understand that words have subtle different meanings in language then I guess you will run into problems with communication all the time.  The word knowledge can cover a wide range of things and you could write a book about it.  What contradictions are  you talking about?

 

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1 minute ago, DrP said:

No - he is arguing about the definition of the word knowledge from what I can tell.

 

Yeah, it's all just silly semantics.

Everyone knows a claim that "knowledge is gained every time a model is updated" is really just another way of saying "it is not the case that knowledge is gained every time a model is updated".

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7 minutes ago, NortonH said:

As an independent observer on this thread that does seem to be the standard response when they are in a bit of a fix, Reg

What do you see as a fix here? That we can't differentiate when we mean the word knowledge to be information and current understanding compared to truths. It's just semantics.

21 minutes ago, Reg Prescott said:

I But is this based on anything more substantive than wishful thinking?

Curing cancer and all that is just swell -- wish you'd hurry up (*cough cough*). Doesn't seem at all relevant to the issue at hand, though

Science has produced many medical cures and preventions from disease over the years - to suggest otherwise is laughable. I'm back to work - bye for now. Thanks for the chat. Not sure we got anywhere though.  

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21 minutes ago, DrP said:

Science has produced many medical cures and preventions from disease over the years - to suggest otherwise is laughable

I didn't suggest otherwise. Chalk up another strawman fallacy.

Oh, and the topic is not science curing diseases. That one would be subsumed under "the fallacy of irrelevance", I suppose.

Or a red herring -- of which there are two kinds, of course (a regular red herring and an absolute red herring).

Edited by Reg Prescott
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12 minutes ago, Reg Prescott said:

I didn't suggest otherwise. Chalk up another strawman fallacy.

Oh, and the topic is not science curing diseases. That one would be subsumed under "the fallacy of irrelevance", I suppose.

Or a red herring -- of which there are two kinds, of course.

There are at least 3 kinds of red herring if you count male and female herrings as being different. There are probably many types...  my KNOWLEDGE of the subject isn't great - I am just a roll mop layman.

12 minutes ago, Reg Prescott said:

Oh, and the topic is not science curing diseases. That one would be subsumed under "the fallacy of irrelevance", I suppose

Well you brought it up when you started talking about cancer research progress as some sort of support for your claim that science was a succession of theories about nothing. As if the current progress in any one research project reflect the entire history of scientific advancement. We have cured many illnesses - so I would say that it isn't a succession of theories about nothing  - I'd say it was practically successful.

12 minutes ago, Reg Prescott said:

Chalk up another strawman fallacy.

So no - again.

Edited by DrP
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4 minutes ago, DrP said:

There are at least 3 kinds of red herring if you count male and female herrings as being different. There are probably many types...  my KNOWLEDGE of the subject isn't great - I am just a roll mop layman.

Well you brought it up when you started talking about cancer research progress as some sort of support for your claim that science was a succession of theories about nothing. As if the current progress in any one research project reflect the entire history of scientific advancement. We have cured many illnesses - so I would say that it isn't a succession of theories about nothing  - I'd say it was practically successful.

So no - again.

Dude, this is truly pathetic. And you questioned my honesty?

I've seen more intellectual integrity at a pirates convention.

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1 hour ago, Reg Prescott said:

I daresay you wouldn't. But is this based on anything more substantive than wishful thinking?

Curing cancer and all that is just swell -- wish you'd hurry up (*cough cough*). Doesn't seem at all relevant to the issue at hand, though.

You bought it up here.   You are claiming that because we haven't cured cancer we have a string of theories about nothing. That was what it was in response to.  I then said that we have cured many many illness using science.  How is that dishonest?  You can't counter it so you attack? 

 

21 minutes ago, Reg Prescott said:

Dude, this is truly pathetic. And you questioned my honesty?

 

You know the herring thing was an attempt at humour - I can only assume that you are finding my statement about science having a very good track record of curing illnesses to be in error   -  which, as I suggested above, is laughable. We have eradicated many diseases. How is this dishonest or pathetic?


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