Again, I never said that I thought this was real, but I have yet to hear a convincing explanation as to WHY it is a fake, simply categorical claims that it is. I was under the impression that that was not how things were done on here. The best thing I saw was the mascot apples (an actual example of a similar event) but that was posted while I was writing my original post.
The point is, we could debate endlessly and
ad nauseum whether or not it is real. The person making the claim that it's real is the one who should support the assertion (e.g., they could cut it in half and show that change runs all the way through the apple, if that's possible, analyze the DNA to show that it actually is a chimera, etc.). No, what they have offered instead is a
de facto assertion that it is real, without any real irrefutable supporting evidence that it is, and an elaborate supposition as to why by a so-called expert that lends false credibility to that assertion.
There is a far easier and more rational, explainable way this "effect" could be achieved, and I have posted a link showing someone else who's done it (much more cleverly and artfully, I might add). Using the principle of Occam's razor, I therefore choose to reject outright - in the face of lack of clearly supporting evidence to support the assertion - that this is some chimera or some other natural occurrence.
Most worrisome to me is the fact that the Telegraph quotes someone as an expert who accepts the claim without further questioning, especially when with a little research, it is easy to explain. And, then reports this as "news" without even the hint that it's possible to fake this. At best, that represents sloppy journalism. At worst, it may be a case of purposeful and sensationalistic hoodwinking to create mystery where it doesn't exist all to sell ad space (not that I'm necessarily invoking conspiracy theory here).
That's how this works, at least in my book: demand proof from the claimant making the assertion. Don't fish around for or accept weak "probablies" and "likelies" that are falsely substitute as proof. Until they can show irrefutable evidence, I'm not willing to suspend my disbelief that this apple may be real, natural occurrence - especially when it's so easy to "fake" this presentation. I'm just not that gullible.
And, frankly, there's just better and more interesting strange possibilities out there to consider that are not quite so easily explained away. Therefore, not going to suspend my disbelief on this one waiting, breath abated, to be shown that this
really could happen naturally... when it's clear to me, even looking at that photo, that someone is taking the piss.
In the meantime, if you don't want to talk about crop circles, maybe we can talk about the Loch Ness monster, okay?
~Dr. Imago
