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...a blog by Richard Flowers

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Day 1910: A for ‘Orses

Monday:


BBC4 showed us “A for Andromeda”, which is a remake of a serial which they made a long time ago and (like some of the DOCTOR WHO) “mislaid”. It was rather good and Daddy got snuffly at the end.

However, early on, one of the scientists said something like: “all this happening by chance, it seems a bit improbable”.

And this reminds me of something that got Daddy Richard hot under the collar on “Thought for the Day” on the radio last week, when the man said: “either it all happened by chance or there was a designer.”

This is what Daddy calls a FALSE DICHOTOMY.

(A Dichotomy is a choice between two things and NOT a system of government based on being ruled by GREG DYKE, which is what I thought.)

If you were to jump out of the window, NOBODY would say that what happens next is a choice between the chance of flying off in a random direction or being dragged down to Earth by Cuddly Chtulhu.

No, you would say that there is a physical law called GRAVITY.

Then you would say “Arrrgh, SPLATT!” so DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!


People get a bit confused because they think that the universe goes nothing, alakazam, stars+planets+people+lollipop ladies+radio four etc.

In fact it takes lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and LOTS and LOTS of tiny little baby steps over a VERY long time. MUCH longer than the attention span of most people. Perhaps it would be easier to notice if it took place in the ADVERT BREAKS on ITV1.

Anyway, watch out for people saying the FALSE DICHOTOMY, because it is a BAD argument! It is REALLY saying: “this happened MY way or in this very silly way that is nothing like what other people really say.”

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