Use the taxi metric. Then a circle (defined as the set of points with a given distance from a given point) is shaped like a diamond. Depending on the definition of 'square' you then use, you can get it to match.Winston Blake wrote:You know, i wouldn't be surprised if Kuroneko or Surlethe described how 2 can equal 72 under certain obscure conditions inconceivable to me, or that in a peculiar geometry 'squares' and 'circles' are the same thing. Just the other day it was mentioned that the 'OR' operator can be square rooted in an area of quantum physics, and this was adequately explained by somebody.
Short of using a cyclic group of order a factor of 70, I don't see how to make 2 = 72, though.
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re: evolution.
They really need to distinguish between evolution as a force of nature and evolution as the sequence of events which were caused by that force of nature which brought about life on earth.
It is perfectly consistent to accept the former and reject the latter.
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re: belief.
There's belief and there's belief. That is, there's the kind of belief where if you flip 5 coins at the same time, without looking at them, you believe they aren't all heads; but if they were, you'd just shrug. Then there's the kind of belief where you base your life around it.
Also, it is sometimes rational to believe either one of contradictory things, based on a personal judgement call of what's more important.
In general, if you have that freedom, though, you want to restrain the quality of your belief to the former category.
In the Nessie question, the former category is all that really makes sense for most of us to have. If Nessie were found tomorrow, I would be like, "Hey, nifty!"
In the Atheism requires faith question, my natural understanding of this is that Atheism is of the second type, not the first (which would be agnosticism).
So, it is not a hit to give seemingly contradictory answers here. It shouldn't even be a bullet-biting.
It could be differently phrased or clarified to remove this ambiguity. Then it could be a hit, but I think few people would fall for it.