Re: Steps of the scientific method {proves God}

"On Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:22:07 -0800, in article
<earle.jones-DD20A6.15220719122008@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Earle Jones stated..."

In article <1is3cz6.n93rrq5fvbnfN%john@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
john@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (John S. Wilkins) wrote:

Earle Jones <earle.jones@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

In article
<cdea9e78-6931-4bf3-a2d6-c5e5e3187b49@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
wf3h <wf3h@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

[...]

1. the bible is true
2. the bible says god exists
3. therefore god exists which proves
4. the bible is true

wow. you've got me convinced

*
Under what conditions can the following be true:

1. A > B

2. B > C

3. C > A

Extra points for knowing who answered this first.

earle
*

Rock-paper-scissors...

*
John: Excellent answer!

....but it's not the one I had in mind.

This is the example that Herman Kahn gave in "Thinking About the
Unthinkable" -- about committee decisions concerning national security
during the cold war.

Kahn wanted to show that a committee of rational people could come to an
irrational conclusion.

Suppose there are three alternatives A, B, and C.

A committee of three individuals 1 ,2, and 3 are asked to rate the three
alternatives.

Individual 1 rates them in this order: A first, B second, and C third.
Individual 2 rates them in this order: B first, C second, and A third.
Individual 3 rates them in this order: C first, A second, and B third.

The votes are in:

Two out of three rate A better than B, therefore A > B.
Two out of three rate B better than C, therefore B > C.
Two out of three rate C better than A, therefore C > A.

Each individual has made a rational decision.
And yet the committee conclusion is irrational.

earle
*
PS: In Japan rock, paper, scissors is played, "Jan, ken, pon".


I believe that this is a variation of what is known as the
Condorcet Paradox in voting - see the Wikipedia article "Voting
paradox".


--
---Tom S.
"As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand."
attributed to Josh Billings

.

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