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Today's Atheist Meme of the Day:
"That can't be a coincidence! It must have had a supernatural cause!" isn't a good argument for God or the supernatural. Our minds evolved to see patterns, even where none exist; and our intuitive understanding of probability is not very good. Pass it on: if we say it enough times to enough people, it may get through.
Between pareidolia, post hoc rationalization, and confirmation bias, we are inherently flawed in our ability to tell "coincidence" apart from real correlation. Science is the tool that gives us even a partial ability to see the difference because it minimizes our own flawed observance from the equation.
"That can't be a coincidence! It must have had a supernatural cause!" isn't a good argument for God or the supernatural. Our minds evolved to see patterns, even where none exist; and our intuitive understanding of probability is not very good. Pass it on: if we say it enough times to enough people, it may get through.
Between pareidolia, post hoc rationalization, and confirmation bias, we are inherently flawed in our ability to tell "coincidence" apart from real correlation. Science is the tool that gives us even a partial ability to see the difference because it minimizes our own flawed observance from the equation.
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Date: 9/30/09 10:09 pm (UTC)From:So the other night, my brother comes home and tells me that his employer doesn't want to start any new projects because Mercury is retrograde, and will cause plans to backfire and not go well. Little bro then says something to the effect of 'well, none of my plans and projects have been working well, I'm feeling really blocked, maybe she's right."
I probably could have responded more gently, but then I wasn't in a good mood to begin with, and as astrology is a flavor of fluff I have, ah, somewhat less tolerance for than some, this line of thought did little to improve the situation.
no subject
Date: 9/30/09 11:05 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 9/30/09 11:38 pm (UTC)From:He backpedaled really quickly (it was probably the reds of my eyes) and said "of course, I don't believe in astrology, but..."
No buts. His plans went awry because sometimes plans do, welcome to adulthood. Now please pay the rent this month!
Your meme just says it better.
no subject
Date: 10/1/09 02:12 am (UTC)From:"There's no good explanation for it at all! / Ain't no rhyme or reason / no complicated meaning / ain't no need to overthink it / let go lauging / Life don't go quite like you planned it / we try so hard to understand it / irrefutable, indisputable, absoluteable, totally beautiful fact is / psshh it happens!"