theres plenty of evidence that the earth is round, also I wouldnt think too much about it, like the second poster *head asplodes*Erana said:
Poll: but, I KNOW the earth is flat!
- Thread starter Ameatypie
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Short answer: Literally speaking we can't have perfect knowledge. Practically speaking we can.
Long answer: All knowledge should be amendable to future evidence, but that doesn't mean there aren't things that we can say we know for sure - mathematics for one. There are things that have been established to such a high degree it would take such massive evidence to change them that it's a pretty safe bet they won't change any time soon and it's an even safer bet that if they do, it won't involve completely throwing out the old theory - Newton's laws are horribly outdated, but they still work well enough so we don't throw them out.
Even if Hydrogen was two functionally identical atoms that couldn't be discerned using any method we know, the periodic table makes detailed, useful predictions, all of which are fulfilled 100% of the time. That means it's either the truth and we know about how elements behave, or it's a perfectly predictive model of how elements behave, indistinguishable from the truth. At that point, any difference is so insignificant, we can't distinguish between the two so for all intents and purposes, we can just say the model and the truth are one in the same. Hence for practical purposes, we can know things.
To put it mathematically, what's the difference between 1 and 0.999...recurring?
The answer: none, they're mathematically identical. Similar principle.
Long answer: All knowledge should be amendable to future evidence, but that doesn't mean there aren't things that we can say we know for sure - mathematics for one. There are things that have been established to such a high degree it would take such massive evidence to change them that it's a pretty safe bet they won't change any time soon and it's an even safer bet that if they do, it won't involve completely throwing out the old theory - Newton's laws are horribly outdated, but they still work well enough so we don't throw them out.
Even if Hydrogen was two functionally identical atoms that couldn't be discerned using any method we know, the periodic table makes detailed, useful predictions, all of which are fulfilled 100% of the time. That means it's either the truth and we know about how elements behave, or it's a perfectly predictive model of how elements behave, indistinguishable from the truth. At that point, any difference is so insignificant, we can't distinguish between the two so for all intents and purposes, we can just say the model and the truth are one in the same. Hence for practical purposes, we can know things.
To put it mathematically, what's the difference between 1 and 0.999...recurring?
The answer: none, they're mathematically identical. Similar principle.
I know what I know is what I know because I choose to accept it as such. What I know could be wrong, but I don't bother reevaluating what I know unless it is called into question by contradiction.
I know the earth is round. If tomorrow I step off the edge, I might change my mind.
I know the earth is round. If tomorrow I step off the edge, I might change my mind.
I don't really know.
Really, how do I know that I exist?
What if I'm dreaming?
What if I'm in someone else's dream?
If I'm in someone else's dream, what happens when they wake up?
You know, sometimes I pretend like you internet people are all figments of my imagination. It's great fun.
Really, how do I know that I exist?
What if I'm dreaming?
What if I'm in someone else's dream?
If I'm in someone else's dream, what happens when they wake up?
You know, sometimes I pretend like you internet people are all figments of my imagination. It's great fun.
Things I know, I know them in the sense that it is my general understanding of them, and what I accept them to be. Knowing is the interpretation of the individual... or something.
All of this is true except the earth being flat. While everyone has their own way of viewing the earth being round, this remains a fact. Also, most people thought the world was round for over two thousand years. The idea that it isn't was brought up by an American in the 19th century. He was largely dismissed then as his organisation is now (the Flat Earth Society)Ameatypie said:
It's a good point. Reminds me of one of those wonderfully bizarre Daniel Pinkwater books, in which the main character is told by his uncle Los Angeles doesn't exist. "Ridiculous," he says. "Everyone knows about Los Angeles. Hell, I know people who have been to LA." His uncle responds, "Have you ever been there yourself?" The protagonist admits he hasn't and his uncle replies "Exactly. They made it up."
The way I see it, there is always the slight probability that anything is true, no matter how small. One might as well stick to scientific beliefs, because that's the closest to the truth we'll ever get. Hell, think of it this way: the idea of an LCD screen would seem ludicrous and impossible to someone from 1492, or even 1892. The idea of magic seems impossible to us now. I predict that in 300 years we'll all be wizards. Our view of the world is dictated by our knowledge, and that knowledge is constantly changing.
The way I see it, there is always the slight probability that anything is true, no matter how small. One might as well stick to scientific beliefs, because that's the closest to the truth we'll ever get. Hell, think of it this way: the idea of an LCD screen would seem ludicrous and impossible to someone from 1492, or even 1892. The idea of magic seems impossible to us now. I predict that in 300 years we'll all be wizards. Our view of the world is dictated by our knowledge, and that knowledge is constantly changing.
Our minds predict what we see...for all i know i could be sitting in the loony bin cutting myself screaming THE WORLD IS NOT AS I SEE!!! And thus created a fake reality,but that's just one option.
This is the kind of stuff that goes through my head every day.Ameatypie said:
I have a theory. What if every time you go to sleep, the entire world changes along with your memory? You forget what you learned that day, and it is immediatley replaced with entirely new events.
For instance, Today my name is name would be something like Eric, but tommorrow I wake up and it is Steven. Everybody proceeds to call me Steven, and every memory I have of people using the name Eric is gone to be replaced with Steven.
Or, what if I wake up tommorow and look at this thread to find that I have posted a picture of breasts. And it turns out that all I do is go from site to site posting pictures of boobs. I have a complete memory of doing this and have no regrets at all, because I am a common troll
Can't confirm everything my friend, That would take too much time and who is to say someone else will doubt you? Just look at the moon landing, Some people says it happened others says it didn't. Just go with what "The Man" feeds us and live on.
