Why people believe weird things

[Ade]

Ade,

Further to your theory that believing in scientific theories is weird, but superstitions mostly have a lot of evidence.

Oh no no. Perhaps I didn’t express my point clearly enough. I said:

“However, unlike some of the superstitions I have come across in SE Asia, they (scientific theories) do mostly have a lot of supporting evidence.”

Meaning scientific theories often have confirming evidence. But that doesn’t mean they are true. Superstitions often don’t even have any confirming evidence.

For example my GF firmly believes that you shouldn’t talk about having a plane crash before getting on a plane because you will cause it to crash. I often ask her if there is any supporting evidence. Has anyone done research into plane crash survivors to see if they discussed plane crashes before embarking.

[Ade]

Ade,

I think the OP should ask you why people believe weird things. Seems to me you are in the position to answer this question.

So, the earth is proven round because it is an observable fact.
However, earlier you claim that even if you have a million pieces of evidence, you still cannot prove the theory to be true because you have not found a counter-example yet.

Now I come with only 1 piece of evidence....a satellite picture of the earth...and you readily accept the theory to be true.
On the other hand you would like the scientific world to continue to disprove that the earth is round by looking for a counter-example?
What are you hoping to find...a flat earth?

I think you might be confusing an observable fact with a theory. Stephen Hawking provides as a good a definition as any : “"a theory is a good theory if it satisfies two requirements: It must accurately describe a large class of observations on the basis of a model which contains only a few arbitrary elements, and it must make definite predictions about the results of future observations".”

So the Earth being spherical would fail as a theory on both counts: Its not a large class of observations and it doesn’t help us with predictions into the future, ie. Any other planets we might come across.

[so what]

Ade,

I am sorry, but you are wrong.

Firstly let me say that Stephen Hawking is not the holy grail of science, but let me take you up on your claim that the earth being spherical fails to comply to his theory.

Firstly there is an unbelievable amount (class) of evidence that the earth is indeed round (or spherical). Not only visual proof exist, but also mathematical.
It also helps us with predictions for the future. I can safely predict that a plane that departs from Singapore direction east, will ultimately arrive back in Singapore from the west.

Then you say that earth might not be round in the future because other planets we might come across might not be round?
Uhhhh...I thought we were talking about earth and as far as I know there is only 1 earth in the universe. And earth as far as I know will always be round regardless of other planets being square or flat.

Now, I have 2 theories that I want you to test against your claim that a theory can never be true. Just let me know if the theories are true after all.

A)
"If I have an infinite number of marbles and I give you half, I still have an infinite number of marbles."

B)
"Everything that has a beginning must have an ending"

BTW theory B is a scientific FACT. Good luck finding a counter-example or disproving it.

[Ade]

A)
"If I have an infinite number of marbles and I give you half, I still have an infinite number of marbles."

B)
"Everything that has a beginning must have an ending"

BTW theory B is a scientific FACT. Good luck finding a counter-example or disproving it.

Yes I did have to think about these.

A is a mathematical theory not a scientific one. It is not based on empirical evidence it is deducible from the axioms of the real number system.

For B, I have a counter example: The Sgt Pepper album. This was in the days when it was on vinyl. It started clearly enough with the title track but then at the end of the last track, A Day in the Life, it went into this infinite loop with this weird noise…

:-)

[so what]

A1) Since when is mathematics not science?
A2) "infinite" is not a number.
B) I think you got the point. Even your Beatles loop did have a beginning and an ending.

Maybe you should think a bit longer and try again.