No, that is not the default way to handle a hypothesis. The default is to ask: why should I believe this? If they have reasons, you look into it, assuming you care. If the reasons are false, expound upon that. If they are not false, you cannot simply claim that, since the proof is insufficient, it is false.
The point of my argument was that there was very little evidence either way. I implied that truth of the hypothesis would have no certain effect upon the world. Thus it is untestable, and completely unrelated to science. Therefore, any statement that it is false needs either a logical proof (all possible worlds), or to go on faith.
The physics analogy was on the other subject, of where we set the thresholds. In this case, even if we set them very low, we can say nothing. Your response makes more sense to the question of whether it is a belief you should personally adopt, not whether it is true or not.
Side Note: A few megabits? Really? You think you are that close to infallible? I know I’m not, even on logical certainties.
If they are not false, you cannot simply claim that, since the proof is insufficient, it is false.
Um, yes you can, or you end up being stuck believing any random “insufficient disproof” hypothesis. I’ll name a few, if you want: there’s an invisible intangible unicorn in your room, your boss is being mind-controlled by space aliens through subspace, and your door is wired to explode but only when you would be in a position to be killed by it.
If you give any of these meaningful credence—even enough to be “agnostic” about it—then you shouldn’t ever use that door, might consider quitting your job, and will work under the assumption that you never have privacy
And no, I don’t think I’m that close to infallible, I think I’d have to be that close to infallible to believe something that ridiculous.
No, that is not the default way to handle a hypothesis. The default is to ask: why should I believe this? If they have reasons, you look into it, assuming you care. If the reasons are false, expound upon that. If they are not false, you cannot simply claim that, since the proof is insufficient, it is false.
The point of my argument was that there was very little evidence either way. I implied that truth of the hypothesis would have no certain effect upon the world. Thus it is untestable, and completely unrelated to science. Therefore, any statement that it is false needs either a logical proof (all possible worlds), or to go on faith.
The physics analogy was on the other subject, of where we set the thresholds. In this case, even if we set them very low, we can say nothing. Your response makes more sense to the question of whether it is a belief you should personally adopt, not whether it is true or not.
Side Note: A few megabits? Really? You think you are that close to infallible? I know I’m not, even on logical certainties.
Um, yes you can, or you end up being stuck believing any random “insufficient disproof” hypothesis. I’ll name a few, if you want: there’s an invisible intangible unicorn in your room, your boss is being mind-controlled by space aliens through subspace, and your door is wired to explode but only when you would be in a position to be killed by it.
If you give any of these meaningful credence—even enough to be “agnostic” about it—then you shouldn’t ever use that door, might consider quitting your job, and will work under the assumption that you never have privacy
And no, I don’t think I’m that close to infallible, I think I’d have to be that close to infallible to believe something that ridiculous.