belief vs science

[hiyymer]

This is the "all swans are white" argument. We can only be sure of the truth of empirical knowledge to a certain degree, and the scope limited to the section of the universe available to us. As it turned out, some swans are actually black. The same could apply to the physical properties of parts of the universe we don't have access to, but based on what we know and can infer about the physical properties of the area of the universe we have access to, I'd be willing to make a small wager that the universe works the same way in all places and times.

It's nice that we straightened that out, but the point was that whatever the scientific method is it will never be "the only escape we have from the belief-dependent realism trap created by our believing brain". There is no escape. And the scientific evidence supports that conclusion.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

This is the "all swans are white" argument.

What is never mentioned in relation to this argument, is the fact that the South American "Black-necked swan" Cygnus melancoryphus was known to western taxonomists about 10 years prior to the Australian "black swan" Cygnus atratus.

So things actually progressed from...

"All swans are white" to "All swans are white (although a few of them have black necks)" to "Dammit! Swans can be black or white, in any proportion - but they are certainly not green, gubnubbit! "