Originally Posted by TimJ
Uh, books don't argue. And arguing is probably the least effective way to share knowledge. In fact I'd argue arguing barely counts as communication. And, "how can you be sure your knowledge is true if you didn't argue back?" strikes me as some shade of the pathetic "there is no truth" meme 90% of everyone seems to be invested in.
What distinguishes my point of view is that it's not a point of view but a decent understanding of the knowledge that's out there on the subject. My "opinion" is irrelevant. I know what I'm talking about because it's something I've studied.
uhhh... of
course books argue. Rarely do they actuallys set out the cold hard observable facts. the facts are usually boring. The table of elements came from interpretations of observations of experiments.... the cold hard fact is that the scientists (think) they shot particles at some other particles, got some squiggy lines, and thus the most stable isotope of Neptunium is determined to have mass of 237.0482 units. is that a directly observable fact? no. it is a really good, repeatable theory.
it's the interpretation of the facts which is very much up for debate. Books generally present the interpretations of facts. i.e "based on the work of who and who, it has been determined that thus-and-such society lived in this-and-that way" As well you know, there is quite a lot of debate in "scientific" circles about many interpretations of facts. more than 15,000 scientists signed a petition urging the U.S to regect the '97 Kyoto accord....
2 people see the same facts and come up with 2 (or 3 or 17) interpretations. I am overweight, i drink Diet Coke, Diet Coke makes me fat!
you judge that you posess a "decent understanding of the knowledge that's out there on the subject", so of course your "opinion" is relevent, because in your opinion, you possess a "decent understanding of the knowledge that's out there on the subject".
this, my friend, is blatently contradictory, and tells me your ability to logic is impaired.
Now smile, it will help make you feel better. It is a fact that smiling releases positive endorphines
