Seems like a simpler theory. Is a shorter sentence
Yes, simplicity of English language is not at all a good metric of actual simplicity for a decent prior. However, in this particular case, both account for the same qualitative observations, and I strongly suspect that if one did try to make these into some formal system one would find that the second hypothesis is actually more complicated since it has a conjunction.
I need to think more about the rest of your remarks more before responding. I think I agree with most of them.
(And right now I’m really tempted to pretend to be an internet crank and start going around the internet preaching that phlogiston is correct).
I don’t think I agree. To be equivalent the summary of the phlogiston hypothesis would also have to include that air has a definite, limited capacity for burned phlogiston and no other known substance does, nor does vacuum.
Yes, simplicity of English language is not at all a good metric of actual simplicity for a decent prior. However, in this particular case, both account for the same qualitative observations, and I strongly suspect that if one did try to make these into some formal system one would find that the second hypothesis is actually more complicated since it has a conjunction.
I need to think more about the rest of your remarks more before responding. I think I agree with most of them.
(And right now I’m really tempted to pretend to be an internet crank and start going around the internet preaching that phlogiston is correct).
I don’t think I agree. To be equivalent the summary of the phlogiston hypothesis would also have to include that air has a definite, limited capacity for burned phlogiston and no other known substance does, nor does vacuum.