Craig

You called one of the most successful scientific theories of our time "suspect" because it was based on probability. And it's not particle physics, it's quantum which is different.

If that's not what you meant, then I guess I misunderstood you but it seemed pretty plain that you were discounting any theory based on probability.

Tenek

And of course, stuffing people with data and formulae is so much worse than stuffing them with Bible quotes.

yguy

Nope. Same thing. That's why you have people on both extremes who can't admit they're wrong about anything.

Tenek

That's nice.

Funny how the issue of scientific evidence for a six-thousand-year-old earth didn't come up until after the scientific evidence for a five-billion-year-old (or so) earth made its début.

yguy

All theories are suspect. And yes, any theory that is "based on probability" - a semantic fig leaf to cover ignorance - is even more so.

Kimpatsu

No, all theories are open to the possibility of falsification. A theory is a hypothesis that's been tested and come through. As to probability theory, I reckon it's 100% likely that you're stupid. Care to rebut?

Doubting Didymus

I'm not sure what your problem with probability theory is. I am also not sure what a theory 'based' on probability is supposed to be.

If I have a coin, I may operate under the theory that tossing the coin frequently and fairly will [i]probably[i] yeild approximately 50% heads and 50% tails. Isn't that a theory 'based' on probability? Yet it's a pretty accurate theory to work under, isn't it?

Forgive me if I have misunderstood your point.

yguy

Perhaps that would be better asked of those like Craig who object when I say that theories based on probability are suspect.

Quote:

If I have a coin, I may operate under the theory that tossing the coin frequently and fairly will [i]probably[i] yeild approximately 50% heads and 50% tails. Isn't that a theory 'based' on probability?

But probability has nothing to do with the end result of any particular coin flip, or any number of them. The end result is governed by the forces applied to the coin, how far it falls, and so forth. The coin doesn't care if you just got heads ten times in a row.

Kimpatsu

Doubting Didymus

No, I'm asking you what you think a theory based on probabiliy IS. Surely you are operating on a definition of some kind, if you suspect them so.

True, probability may not be actually influencing the coin, but probability is still a vital part of the operating theory, isn't it? Without probability calculations, the theory would not work as successfully as it does to predict outcomes.