Atheism and the Null Hypothesis

	Duration: 06:30 minutes Upload Time: 07-08-25 18:06:32 User: shanedk :::: Favorites
Description: A defense of atheism using one of the basic principles of science, the Null Hypothesis. The music is "Harmful or Fatal" by Kevin MacLeod ( www.incompetech.com ).
Comments
shanedk ::: Favorites Absolutely. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. 07-09-01 20:32:00 _____________________________________________________
zrice03 ::: Favorites I think the best way to put it is that we should not believe anything until given reason to do so. This applies to gods, aliens, mermaids, and everything else. Of course, the bigger and more revolutionary the claim, the evidence must be much more rigorous. 07-09-01 20:27:30 _____________________________________________________
shanedk ::: Favorites You're misapplying the Null Hypothesis. Basically, you don't assume anything you don't need to. We don't need God to explain gravity, cosmology, evolution, or anything else, so we don't posit one. Your notion is a fallacy, known as "argument from incredulity." 07-08-31 21:05:19 _____________________________________________________
hugesinker ::: Favorites It seems equally valid to assume that the null hypothesis may be applied from the stance that a God entity exists (outside of revealed religion). The notion that the potential for our own distinct minds and consciousness comes from a purely physical world as we currently understand it, is, in my opinion, the more grandiose assumption. If you can call us conscious, due to our questions and searches for understanding, is it so unreasonable to assume an architect mind? 07-08-31 18:41:02 _____________________________________________________
lysandra74 ::: Favorites this is one of the best YT atheism videos I've seen. Nice work! 07-08-31 14:38:54 _____________________________________________________
shanedk ::: Favorites No, but "Black holes don't exist" was the only rational position one could make at the time. Of course, we didn't even have a concept of black holes then, so the analogy doesn't really track anyway. 07-08-31 12:39:43 _____________________________________________________
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justice7 ::: Favorites because certainly, we would have had to apply the null hypothesis to that :) I see where you're going here, but you're right.. it is an objective position. 07-08-31 12:38:33 _____________________________________________________
justice7 ::: Favorites so before we knew of Black Holes, they didn't exist? 07-08-31 12:37:18 _____________________________________________________
shanedk ::: Favorites Except that "God exists" is absolutely an objective position, and the Null Hypothesis must apply. "I like pie" isn't. 07-08-31 12:05:14 _____________________________________________________
hugesinker ::: Favorites Justice, I agree. Also, questions like "What should I do with my life?" and having an optimistic outlook are decided by beliefs or hopes. I would find it difficult to apply the null hypothesis there. A lot depends on where you are standing when you decide to apply the null hypothesis, because you start with the null condition applied to the claim you believe is less likely (which is sometimes not objective). 07-08-31 11:48:39 _____________________________________________________