What do you believe but can't prove?

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 14 May 2007 17:46

So I've been reading this fantastic book What We Believe But Can't Prove - which is a collection of short essays by the worlds leading thinkers in answer to that question. You can read the entire book here;

http://www.edge.org/q2005/q05_print.html

I'm curious to know how you would answer this question. It seems people took two different approaches. Some people took something that most of us would accept and made the point that we can't prove it, others took something that there is much debate about and said; "I know this is true, I just can't prove it."

You can answer as long or short as you like. Here are some of the answers I found most interesting (although I've only read a small portion of the book, just the names I recognise and then about a quarter from the start).

http://www.edge.org/q2005/q05_9.html#mcwhorter
http://www.edge.org/q2005/q05_8.html#blackmore
http://www.edge.org/q2005/q05_6.html#kurzweil
http://www.edge.org/q2005/q05_5.html#lederman
http://www.edge.org/q2005/q05_3.html#lloyd
http://www.edge.org/q2005/q05_4.html#dutton
http://www.edge.org/q2005/q05_print.html#taylor

(you don't have to read these if you don't like reading)

To answer the question myself;

I believe, but cannot prove, that this generation, the generation after the baby boomers (generation x, y, whatever you want to call it) will manage the world in a far more sustainable and fair manner than our parents did.

Blue_turnip · Post by **Blue_turnip** » 15 May 2007 01:51

I believe that the scientific community should not have made proving anything impossible. However I cannot prove that having it my way would have been a better alternative.

apoplectic · Post by **apoplectic** » 15 May 2007 07:45

i beleive that i dont really have any

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 15 May 2007 08:07

I believe that the invasion of Iraq wasn't about oil, personal grudges, or any of the other alternative explanations to the stated reasons (WMD, terrorism, advancing freedom, democracy, human rights, etc. - which themselves are clearly false, based on lies, or so clearly not thought about by those advancing them that it isn't plausible that they are the real reason).

I believe the invasion of Iraq was about domestic politics and consolidation of domestic political power by the conservative movement. I believe it was about getting lots of Republicans elected or reelected, about trapping Democrats in impossible situations, and about keeping that war/foreign policy light shining on W.

But I know I can't prove this, that it would be easier to disprove this than to prove this, and that there are more plausible alternative explanations.

PegLegHolly · Post by **PegLegHolly** » 15 May 2007 08:20

i believe in gravity.

i dont believe heaven or hell... not because it cant be proven, but because... well im not going to get into it.

mizua_r · Post by **mizua_r** » 15 May 2007 11:39

I believe in the ability of honour and integrity to do amazing things, even though they are seldom seen.

Blue_turnip · Post by **Blue_turnip** » 16 May 2007 03:52

PegLegHolly wrote:i believe in gravity.

Setting aside the fact that you can't 'prove' anything, how can you not prove that gravity exists? Just because it can't be explained very well doesn't mean it doesn't exist. There are forces between entities of considerable mass. Successful space exploration in the last 50 years has been based off calculations taking gravity into consideration.

Torn · Post by **Torn** » 16 May 2007 09:47

I do belive that there are other beings somewhere in the universe..I just can't believe that we are the only ones for zillions billions of miles ...I love those calculations like if only x (just some very small number) of planets could permit life forms to live on there still are y (very large number) planets where life is possible

sanuke okumatzu · Post by **sanuke okumatzu** » 16 May 2007 15:19

1.) God- can't prove he's there...can't prove he's not.

You can look at god as being a virus really. A virus has to be spread from one organism to another. And without said transfer it dies off. No people...no god.

2.) Extraterrestrial life.

As Julien said, we're just so insignificant in space it could be millions of years before any other 'life' ever comes to be. And even so, what's to say that there will be life that is anywhere near enough to actually visit within a reasonable amount of time.

Tsiangkun · Post by **Tsiangkun** » 16 May 2007 15:28

I believe in the future we will have theories that show information to be convertible to mass and energy.

sanuke okumatzu · Post by **sanuke okumatzu** » 16 May 2007 15:37

Tsiangkun wrote:I believe in the future we will have theories that show information to be convertible to mass and energy.

ooh hoo ....I nearly pissed myself laughing when I read this ;the thought of a nerd imploding himself was just too much for me to take hahaha.

ted · Post by **ted** » 17 May 2007 11:17

I believe, but cannot prove, that metaphysical discussions about god are a waste of everybody's time.

sanuke okumatzu · Post by **sanuke okumatzu** » 17 May 2007 15:13

ted wrote:I believe, but cannot prove, that metaphysical discussions about god are a waste of everybody's time.

I can prove it.

Time spent talking about god = bad footbag skills
Using that time to drill = good skills

BenRea · Post by **BenRea** » 17 May 2007 17:16

I believe i can hit super nemesis

Post by **Zac Miley** » 17 May 2007 17:39

Time spent talking about god = bad footbag skills
Using that time to drill = good skills

What if I believe footbag skills are useless, but can't prove it? Would time spent talking about god be useful?

gMoney · Post by **gMoney** » 17 May 2007 19:29

I believe that I am hard working, smart, and love everyone equally.

Guest_1 · Post by **Guest_1** » 18 May 2007 05:35

Virginity is a made up concept used to repress men and women for centuries

Switch Kicker · Post by **Switch Kicker** » 18 May 2007 09:50

Love.

sanuke okumatzu · Post by **sanuke okumatzu** » 18 May 2007 10:29

Isilwar wrote:
Time spent talking about god = bad footbag skills
Using that time to drill = good skills
What if I believe footbag skills are useless, but can't prove it? Would time spent talking about god be useful?

Because.. you can't prove it

Post by **Zac Miley** » 19 May 2007 09:17

You also can't prove that time spent talking about god=bad footbag skills. This thread is weird.