Prove the unprovable

[matgb]

Skeptico: How do you prove photography to a blind man?

I add no further comment. None is needed. Genius.

(via oltheros at apocalinks)

Comments

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

* yoink *

[bokuniwa.livejournal.com]

This is great

[doccy.livejournal.com]

Comments are closed? Dammit...

See, they're being far too complex about the whole thing. Simple way to prove really;

1) Take blind man/woman. Cover them completely in clothing.

2) Cut an L-shape in one arm. Get them to confirm it's been cut in an L-shape.

3) Leave to bake on a summer's day.

The searing pain from the L-shaped sunburn should convince them that sunlight can, indeed, burn a specific shape on a target substance - in this case, flesh. It's a tiny leap of logic to get from 'skin can be affected by light' to 'people can make something that's even more sensitive'.

Not that I'm recommending lightly roasting blind people - it just seems a lot simpler, and doesn't involve any pesky theories. Unless I'm not thinking straight ;)

[burkesworks.livejournal.com]

How do you prove photography to a blind man?

The corollaries to that being "how do you prove biometrics to a blind man" and "how much do you pay him (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,2042271,00.html)".

[silentgreeneyes.livejournal.com]

this is fantastic :)

ION, not going to London this friday, but will be soon.

[the-mendicant.livejournal.com]

I like that blog site, well worth a deeper delving. However, I don't entirely agree with the writer's premis.

I know he's looking at psychic experiences from a skeptical and scientific angle, and by those standards, yes it is impossible to prove that these things exist. But lack of proof is not the same thing as proving that something doesn't exist. Remember John Selwyn Gummer feeding his daughter beef burgers whilst saying vehemently that there was no proof for BSE?