Just to be clear...
Association of one thing with another does not mean that one thing causes the other.
Not in peer-reviewed scientific circles.
In other words, correlation does not mean causation.
Two things can have extremely strong links, but until there is actual, incontrovertible proof that one resulted in the other, it's not definite.
Every possible factor must be examined, and re-examined, and then submitted to a number of other researchers for still more re-examination.
That is known as "rigorous testing" of the hypothesis.
I only bring this up due to a recent experience with a person who truly believes that an unproven theory regarding extraterrestrial life visiting Earth has some truth to it due to a number of supposedly respectable people repeating the theory and furthermore, has been quoting some very scientific sounding verbiage that the primary claimants of the theory have been using. *
So, once again, the old chestnut:
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
Repetitiously quoting pseudo-scientific claims spewed by people who have an internet presence is not extraordinary evidence.
Thank you.
* The "quoting some very scientific sounding verbiage" bit is not just irritating, it is comically wrong, somewhat like when a person says, "Pink Floyd? I love him!"
No comments:
Post a Comment