Are there unquestionable answers?

[shemp]

Is there anything so absolutely true that it cannot be questioned?

 

[Upchurch]

No?

 

[Keneke]

ITTIA

 

[Mercutio]

Is there anything so absolutely true that it cannot be questioned?

I never question any of the answers I get from the "ask Shemp" thread...

 

[Upchurch]

Is there anything so absolutely true that it cannot be questioned?

Oh, wait! what about mathematical identity?

1 = 1
0 = 0
True = True
False = False

How do you question that in a meaningful way?

(I realize, of course, that one could always question the language in which the answer was stated. Like, "what does '=' mean? If we were to accept this as a legitamite, then every answer can be questioned through incomplete understanding of what the answer means.)

 

[LuxFerum]

Re: Re: Are there unquestionable answers?

Oh, wait! what about mathematical identity?

1 = 1
0 = 0
True = True
False = False

How do you know that you didn't make a mistake?

 

[A_Feeble_Mind]

Re: Re: Are there unquestionable answers?

Oh, wait! what about mathematical identity?

1 = 1
0 = 0
True = True
False = False

How do you question that in a meaningful way?

(I realize, of course, that one could always question the language in which the answer was stated. Like, "what does '=' mean? If we were to accept this as a legitamite, then every answer can be questioned through incomplete understanding of what the answer means.)

What about my favorite mind-blowing mathematical truth:

.9 repeating = 1

Can we question that? It sure makes my head hurt.

 

[frisian]

Re: Re: Re: Are there unquestionable answers?

What about my favorite mind-blowing mathematical truth:

.9 repeating = 1

Can we question that? It sure makes my head hurt.

I want a better answer to that as well.

I got a poor one once, but since it was poor I don't recall it.

 

[A_Feeble_Mind]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Are there unquestionable answers?

I want a better answer to that as well.

I got a poor one once, but since it was poor I don't recall it.

1/3 = .3 repeating
2/3 = .6 repeating

Thus, .3 repeating (1/3) + .6 repeating (2/3) = .9 repeating (3/3 = 1)

Still hurts the head, though.

 

[LW]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Are there unquestionable answers?

I want a better answer to that as well.

I got a poor one once, but since it was poor I don't recall it.

See http://www.randi.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29713 for everything you have always wanted to know about that subject (and much what you probably don't want to know).

But be warned that the very first post contains a typo which makes the 'proof' invalid. There are numerous different (xouper counted 17) valid proofs for it buried within that thread.

 

[frisian]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Are there unquestionable answers?

1/3 = .3 repeating
2/3 = .6 repeating

Thus, .3 repeating (1/3) + .6 repeating (2/3) = .9 repeating (3/3 = 1)

Still hurts the head, though.

Yeah, exactly. Didn't care for the answer... well it's durn close eh?

 

[frisian]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Are there unquestionable answers?

See http://www.randi.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29713 for everything you have always wanted to know about that subject (and much what you probably don't want to know).

But be warned that the very first post contains a typo which makes the 'proof' invalid. There are numerous different (xouper counted 17) valid proofs for it buried within that thread.

I read through "page" 1, perhaps will look through the whole thing later.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[frisian]

Heh.

I asked my brother in law this question...

"does NOT work as a valid defense during a police sobriety test, as a general rule"

 

[epepke]

42.

 

[xouper]

frisian: Didn't care for the answer... well it's durn close eh?

Don't make me get on my pedant's hat here.

It's not "durn close", it's exactly equal.

As for the number 17, well, I just pulled that out of my a... , er, thin air. I didn't really count all the different explanations.

 

[phildonnia]

42.

I was wondering how long that would take. Thought that would be the first reply.

 

[frisian]

Don't make me get on my pedant's hat here.

It's not "durn close", it's exactly equal.

As for the number 17, well, I just pulled that out of my a... , er, thin air. I didn't really count all the different explanations.

.9 "forever" is exactly equal to 1?

 

[Dorian Gray]

Yeah, that didn't sit well with me either, frisian.

Square them both infinite times - 1 squared infinitely will always be 1, but .999.... squared infinitely will tend towards zero.

 

[triadboy]

"Do these pants make my butt look fat?"

Unquestionable answer: "No, dear."

 

[Walter Wayne]

Is there anything so absolutely true that it cannot be questioned?

There will always be some to question any answer. The truer the answer, the kookier the person questioning will be.

Walt